The Past Returns
by seta-sakura
Summary: UPDATE! When Misao is kidnapped, Kenshin is called to Kyoto once again. The past returns for Kenshin in more ways than he anticipated.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: RK and all it's characters are not mine. I merely borrowed them for my story.  
  
R&R please!! :D  
  
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The Past Returns  
  
Prologue  
  
Makimachi Misao stood alone in the clearing, completely surrounded by samurai. The mid morning sun shone brightly down on her and the people with her. She was silently cursing herself for wandering off her usual walking route but hindsight was always much clearer. Why she had chosen that moment to step into the clearing to see the group of 9 carrying five bound and gagged girls off to kami-sama knows where, she'll never know. But one thing was certain; she wasn't going to allow them to get away with those poor defenseless women.  
  
She, of course, charged in headlong. Being a ninja helped somewhat, they didn't notice her presence until she called out to them. Being a hard- headed 17 year old hadn't helped at all. All she saw were the girls. She didn't notice the swords at every man's hip. Cursing her stupidity she fished out the kunai's she usually carried with her no matter what. It was in that fleeting moment that the 9 men had put their prisoners down and surrounded the girl.  
  
'Damn they're fast!' Misao cursed in her head. She surveyed her chances, and they didn't look good. Nine samurai, all quite fast from their initial movements. They wore strange get-ups too. Grey hakamas and white gi's, along with blue haori's. They each wore white bandanas around their head.  
  
Misao couldn't talk much about wearing strange clothes. She wore her ninja outfit pretty much all the time. And a 'lady' of her age should never show her thighs off like Misao did. It was indecent of her, and very unlady- like. However, at that moment she wasn't in her ninja uniform. She was in a kimono. She had tried to become a lady by wearing the traditional outfit, however confining she found it. How Kaoru managed to move around in hers was a mystery to Misao. But she had worn it in an attempt to catch Shinomori Aoshi's eye, and show him she wasn't the little girl he thought she was.  
  
His utter ignorance at the fact that she had changed clothes at all had really ticked her off. She had stormed out of the Aoiya in rage and had found herself wandering the forest outside the city. She liked the quiet solitude of the forest. It calmed her down. Of course, that was before she walked into the kidnapping.  
  
So there she was, in a kimono, with a few measly kunai in her hand, surrounded by 9 samurai. He chances of escape were very minimal.  
  
"Another pretty wanders in our path, how fortunate." One samurai sneered. Misao glared at him.  
  
"Well, this 'pretty' isn't an easy target." Misao spit out. Of course, somewhere in the back of her head, she liked hearing that she was 'pretty', but hearing it from the man before her was just plain disgusting.  
  
"Easy target or not, do you really think you'll be able to escape from 9 of us?" another retorted off to her left. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked very relaxed. It was his folly for thinking she was weak. In an instance she had crossed the distance between herself and the lazy samurai, and delivered her patented kick. He took the blow to his abdomen, and doubled over in pain. She seized the opportunity to bring her fist, weighed down by the kunai, crashing full force into the base of his skull at the same time, bringing her knee up and giving him another blow to the abdomen. The double attack knocked the man out cold.  
  
"Eight." Misao said. She immediately leapt into the air and took her fight into the surrounding trees. She was best off in an aerial fight against the remaining 8. She could use gravity and her own weight to her advantage then.  
  
The 8 men were shocked at her quickness, as well as agility. She wouldn't be an easy target. But she would be captured by them; it was only a matter of getting her back on the ground.  
  
With a flick of his wrist, one of the samurai motioned for five of his comrades to remain on the ground, while the other three took to the trees in pursuit. Three men leapt into the air and gave chase to the girl in the kimono with the long black braid and bright green eyes.  
  
Misao saw two men chasing her. 'Humph! What arrogance, as if two men would be able to stop me! I'll take them out no problem.' she thought as she alighted on a branch of a large tree, pivoted and launched herself towards her assailants. She gripped a kunai in each of her fists as gravity sent her careening towards the closest samurai. With only a few kunai to protect herself with, she had to use them carefully.  
  
The first samurai saw her coming and prepared himself. He planted his feet firmly on the branch of the tree, with his back pressed against the huge trunk to brace himself for the impact. He held up his arms, intending to catch her. She slammed into him, full bodied. He moved to close his arms around her and capture her, but he couldn't. Smirking, Misao backed out of the man's reach to survey her work. A kunai was embedded into the tree trunk on either side of the man, the arms of his haori pinned, immobilizing him.  
  
"Why you-!" he growled. The second samurai landed on the branch at that moment, took a moment to snicker at his second comrade who had been bested by the girl, then turned his attention to her. Misao turned to her newest challenge and glared at his smirking face. A tearing sound behind her told that the first man had ripped out of his binding, a quick glance told her she was right. Some of the light blue material was pinned to the tree beneath her kunai.  
  
"Two against one, what's a girl to do?" Misao asked lightly. Both men launched themselves at her, intent on catching her unharmed, but she jumped away, allowing herself to fall towards the ground. Both men slammed into each other, cursed and tripped over each other, only to find themselves hurtling towards the ground. Misao landed on a branch not too far off the ground and smiled at the crashing of the two men when they hit. She stood, turned and was caught off guard by the third pursuer, whom she didn't see, when his saya slammed into her abdomen, and knocked her off the branch.  
  
The saya blow, combined with the force of impact against the ground took her breath away. She was back in the clearing, surrounded by the five remaining samurai. The one who had ambushed her jumped to the ground and walked up to her, tucking his saya and sword back into the ties at his waist.  
  
"You're the first to knock one of my men unconscious." He said admirably looking down at the girl.  
  
"One? I could have sworn I got three." Misao retorted, clutching her side as she struggled, to no avail, to stand up. The man laughed. He knelt down and placed a hand on the side of Misao's face.  
  
"My my, such a sharp tongue on this one. You may be harder to get rid of. But then, some like one with a sharp tongue."  
  
Misao jerked her face away from the man's grip. For some reason his words caused a chill to run down her spine and his touch had suddenly felt slimy. She had never really felt fear like she felt at that moment. She felt weak for the first time in her life and she didn't like it one bit.  
  
"Don't touch me." She growled through clenched teeth. The man laughed again.  
  
"Oh kami-sama, no. I have no intention of touching you like that. I have a much better use for you, my dear." he said, standing and turning his back to her. He nodded to one of his men, and a rope was pulled out.  
  
"Well, as I see it, you still haven't caught me." Misao retorted to the retreating mans back. She planted her feet beneath herself and attempted to take in some much needed air in order to get the strength to do what she was about to do. At least she knew she could jump high enough to clear the circle of samurai. She had Himura to thank for that.  
  
The man turned back around to the girl. From his eyes, she looked defeated. She was gasping for air and still clinging to her stomach. She was full of energy that was for sure. He smiled once more. He liked this girl more and more.  
  
"I haven't? Enlighten me, little one." he said. Misao pushed against the ground with all her might, sending her small body high into the air, well over the heads of the taller men. The man's smile never left his face as he watched her. Full of energy. She was quite the little weasel-girl. He turned, watching her arc as she soared through the air.  
  
"I've gotten 3; there are only 6 more to go. Round 2!" Misao shouted. The man pulled his katana out of its saya and threw it at the falling girl. The sword wouldn't impale her. It wouldn't even cut her, he had full control of it. It would merely pin the edge of her kimono to the ground, thus rendering her trapped, unless she wanted to fight half-naked.  
  
Misao found her footing when she landed, only to see a sword coming at her. The next second, she was pinned by the sword as it stuck through her kimono and deeply into the ground. She had two options before her, either remain trapped by the sword, or strip off the kimono and keep fighting. Neither was 100% appealing to her, but she wasn't a ninja for nothing. She moved to untie the string keeping her obi up when out of no where, a shadow appeared before her, and a hand covered her own.  
  
"I wouldn't remove that if I were you." came a voice from above her. Misao looked up and found herself staring at a pair of strange blue eyes. They weren't as cold as Aoshi's, but they weren't as friendly as Kaoru's. The man stood up, grabbed the sword that trapped her kimono and hauled it out of the ground, freeing Misao. He turned towards the group of samurai and Misao scrambled to her feet, she looked at her rescuers back.  
  
He wasn't very tall. Around Himura's height. He had long brown hair, tied back in a high ponytail on his head. He wore a dark brown gi, and grey hakama. He also had a very old and worn out sword at his hip. At least, the saya was old and worn out. Misao couldn't tell if the sword was in the same condition.  
  
"Does this belong to one of you?" he asked brandishing the sword at the group of samurai.  
  
The leader of the group was shocked at the speed and silence the new arrival had arrived on the scene. He was no more than a boy.  
  
"That is my sword. Now return it and be on your way. This doesn't concern you."  
  
The man surveyed the leader carefully, then looked at the gleaming sword in his hand.  
  
"It's not a very good sword." he retorted, and threw it back.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?! Don't give it back to him!!" Misao yelled. The man turned to her and smiled gently. She saw his face clearer this time. He looked very young. Maybe no more than 16 or 17. But after meeting Himura and his Master Hiko, Misao stopped judging ages of people merely by how they look.  
  
"A samurai should never be without their sword. If he has chosen to carry it during this time of peace, he must have a good reason." the boy said to her, smiling. He turned back to the 6 men before them, "However this does concern me. I mean, 9 men against one girl hardly seems fair."  
  
"What do you know of swords boy? Now get out of here. We've unfinished business." The leader shouted, extremely irritated.  
  
"Now now, this girl didn't seem to be interested in your business. And neither did the five other women I found back there. I let them go." The boy said mildly, waving off over his shoulder to where the group of samurai had laid their captives down minutes before hand. Sure enough, the ropes were sliced off, and the women were gone.  
  
"Why you!" one samurai growled. In one fluid motion, he unsheathed his sword and charged towards Misao and the boy. Misao heard the familiar click of a sword being unhooked. She looked down and saw the boy's hand on his sword. The next moment he was speeding towards the approaching samurai. Misao watched in amazement when the man/boy drew his sword in one fluid motion and performed a battoujutsu at a near god-like speed. But what had her totally shocked was the fact that he brought the saya out of its place of rest, and used it to perform another battoujutsu.  
  
A double battoujutsu.  
  
There was only one man alive... well, two. who used the double battoujutsu like that.  
  
And now there were three.  
  
The samurai felt the saya plow into his side, at the same time that he felt the blade of his katana break under the power of the battoujutsu. He hadn't even seen the arc of his opponent's katana. Merely a bring flash of light and then nothing.  
  
The man/boy kept going, leaping over the unconscious form of the samurai and heading straight for the 5 remaining.  
  
Misao watched, transfixed. The moves the young man made were agonizingly similar to the Hiten Mitsurugi Style, but at the same time, so very much unlike it. But when the boy leapt into the air and performed a perfect Ryu Tsui Sen, Kenshin's favorite move, Misao audible gasped.  
  
The boy stood, each of the 6 samurai were at his feet.  
  
"Yare, yare. I thought they would put up more of a fight." He sighed, habitually flicking his blade and re-sheathing it. Misao watched in fascination as he preformed the act, his sword was a regular katana. He turned to Misao who stared at the bodies in shock.  
  
"Are they dead?" she whispered. The boy smiled.  
  
"Of course not. Just unconscious."  
  
She noted the bandages he wore, wrapped around himself, all the way up to his collar bone.  
  
Misao gasped again. Not only had he used a Hiten Mitsurugi technique, but he had used the back of his sword to perform them.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked.  
  
"Merely a wanderer." He said, and turned his back to her.  
  
"Wait! You're name?" Misao called. The wanderer stopped and turned slightly towards her. Her breath caught, he was way too much like Himura. The way he fought, the way he moved, the way he held his sword... almost like he was the former manslayers long lost brother or something.  
  
"Hideki." Came the reply.  
  
"Just 'Hideki'?"  
  
Hideki smiled slightly, as if remembering something his grip on the saya in his hand tightened.  
  
"Just Hideki." He replied softly and turned again.  
  
The slight sound of a match being struck caused both Hideki and Misao to turn. The man she had first laid out was conscious once again. He held a match in one hand, and a stick with a string at the end of it in the other hand. The string on the stick was burning. He smiled wickedly.  
  
"Die!" he shouted, hurling the stick at Misao.  
  
Misao stared at the stick in confusion. She had never seen anything like it before. It almost looked like a firecracker stick, but it was too small. It landed near her feet.  
  
Hideki gasped, immediately recognizing the stick. Dynamite. A new form of explosive.  
  
Misao saw the wanderer sprinting towards her a split second before his arms had engulfed her and his body got between hers and the stick.  
  
A huge explosion rocked the clearing. Debris went flying everywhere. Rocks, branches, dirt, everything near the dynamite when it went off were sent hurtling in all directions. Misao felt herself get thrown, but the brunt of the explosion was shielded from her by Hideki's body. They landed quite a distance from where they had been standing.  
  
Misao landed, full force, on the ground. Then Hideki crashed on top of her. He was lighter than he looked, but that didn't matter. She was dazed and breathless from the impact. Other than that, she was okay. But the tell-tale warmth of blood on her neck told her Hideki was not.  
  
Quickly, she turned the young wanderer over and surveyed the damage. He had a huge gash over his eye, near his hairline and blood was leaking from it profusely. There were a few other places in his hair that was sticky with blood. He had been hit several times by debris.  
  
"Hideki! Hideki!" Misao called frantically. She shook the small man's shoulders, trying to get him to wake, but he remained still and lifeless. His sword was gone, thrown from his hands after the explosion to land somewhere amidst the debris that covered the clearing.  
  
A pair of strong hands grabbed her shoulders and hauled her away from Hideki's form. Another pair rapidly tied her up, and someone placed a gag around her mouth, cutting off her frantic calls. A sharp blow hit her in the head, stars exploded in front of her eyes, and her world went black. The last thing she saw was Hideki's body.  
  
"Well, this pain in the ass boy lost all of our women. What'll we do?" one of the samurai asked as their leader hoisted the unconscious form of Misao onto his shoulder.  
  
"He's as good as dead here. Leave him. And she'll be good enough for now. We'll just have to go out and get more later." The leader replied. He gave the boy/man one final look, still amazed at the power of the blow he had delivered. The blow should have killed him, but the wanderer had used the back of his blade, and spared every man's life.  
  
He respected the boy for it.  
  
He hoped the boy would survive so they could cross blades again someday.  
  
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Dusk had come and gone, leaving a dark night in its wake. The half moon high in the sky shone a dim light down on the earth below.  
  
The fireflies danced on the river as Rumiko Ginji took his nightly stroll along the riverbanks. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of evening. And the dancing fireflies somehow alleviated some of his loneliness. He stopped to watch their performance, as he usually did.  
  
The sound of a scuffed footstep, followed by another, and another alerted the man of someone approaching. It wasn't unusual for someone to be walking along the banks, after all, Ginji himself was. But the muffled moan, followed by the sound of someone collapsing to the ground alerted the elderly doctor of someone's peril. He quickly made his way towards the sound, only to find a young man curled up on the ground.  
  
He wore a gi and hakama. His hair was unbound and splayed around his prone form. Ginji gingerly turned the man over, only to discover that he wasn't a 'he' at all. 'He' was a she. The gi was parted, showing the unmistakable curves of a female's body beneath the loosly wrapped bandages she wore.  
  
"Ojousan! Ojousan! Are you alright?" Ginji asked frantically. He brushed some of her hair out of her face, only to have his fingers meet with dried blood and linen. He gasped and drew his hand back.  
  
The girl moaned softly, and opened her eyes.  
  
"Ojousan! Are you alright?" Ginji repeated.  
  
"W-who are you?" she asked, her voice soft and sweet.  
  
"I'm a doctor, Rumiko Ginji, are you alright; can you tell me your name? What happened?" Ginji asked. It was very rare to see a woman in a gi and hakama, and it was ever rarer that she was as badly beaten as the girl in his arms was.  
  
She reached up, gingerly touched her wound on her forehead and closed her eyes.  
  
"I- I...." her voice faltered. Her eyes flew open. Ginji saw the panic there.  
  
"I don't remember."  
  
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A.N. Greetings fellow fanficers! It is I! Sakura-san! I have returned!  
  
=throws a party=  
  
Anyways, I'm back a couple of weeks earlier than expected so I started on my new fic. This is the sequel to my other fic: Secrets of the Revolution. If you haven't read it, then you won't know who Hideki is so this chapter wouldn't have made much impact on you.  
  
Secrets is a semi-long fic, so if you don't want to read it that's fine, maybe you'll read this and enjoy it, then want to go back and read Secrets. For those who don't know Hideki, here's a short version Secrets:  
  
Hideki and Himura were manslayers in the revolution. They worked together towards the end of the revolution and were an unstoppable force for the imperialists. During one fight, Hideki got hurt and Himura found out He was a She =crowd gasps=. She disguised herself as a man to join the revolution. She was good, but not as good as Kenshin. They formed a close friendship that rapidly turned into a brother/sister family relationship. She was the one who told Shakku to give the reverse blade sword to Kenshin, and in the end, she took Kenshin's sword that he left at Toba Fushimi and swore to never take a life with it. They both wandered off to find atonement for their crimes as manslayers.  
  
The end.  
  
Well, that's the short version. There was more to the story than that, and I omitted some important stuff in there that happened in that story. But I don't know yet if it'll make any difference to this story. If it does, I'll fill in those of you who still hadn't read secrets.  
  
Blah. Okay, AN Becoming really long. Time to end it. So please review! :D 


	2. The Past Returns ch1

Disclaimer: RK and it's characters are not mine, they belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki. Brilliant man that he is.  
  
A.N. Sorry for the delay in this update, if any of you are reading my other fic, you know why. If you're not, then I'll keep this short and say I've been swamped.  
  
Well, here's chapter two. It took me ages for two reasons, I was busy, and I was never happy with what I had written, nor did I know where/how to end the chapter. I think I did okay with it this time. Talk about major case of writers block tho! GRR!  
  
Anyways, it's finally here, so R&R pls!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
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The Past Returns  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Shinomori Aoshi sat meditating in his room. He had the distinct feeling that Misao wasn't pleased with him. She had been rather peeved when she stormed out of the Aoiya earlier, and he had a feeling that her anger was caused by him. Of course, he had no idea what he had done.  
  
But an unhappy Misao wasn't acceptable in Aoshi's eyes.  
  
He opened his eyes to stare at the blank wall. He glanced around the meticulously clean room. His eyes landed on the neatly folded futon in one corner, the small closet containing his few possessions, including a long white trench coat that still had blood of his fallen comrades on it, there was a small chest in another corner and a sword alter that held his original kodachi.  
  
Rising, Aoshi padded quietly over to the chest, knelt and opened it. Inside was his Oniwabanshu uniform, a few kunai's and his two kodachi's. He could remember vividly when he donned his uniform for the first time after running amok in Kyoto and forming a semi-alliance with Shishio.  
  
It had been because of Misao.  
  
She was responding to a favor asked by the Kamiya girl. Misao had found an old diary, one that belonged to the Battousai's wife, and was bringing it to Tokyo. He had chosen to accompany her. He told himself that it was to act as an escort and a guard for the young woman, but he was only lying to himself. He had gone to Tokyo with her for two reasons.  
  
One, because his fallen friends had still not received a proper burial, and he knew that if anyone deserved to get a proper burial it was those four men. And Misao had to be there, for they were her family.  
  
But the second reason, the one he ignored for the most part, was the biggest driving force.  
  
He went to Tokyo with Misao because he knew that if he stayed while she went, he would miss her terribly.  
  
Somewhere between teaching her martial arts when she was a child and seeing her small form running towards him as a young woman, he had grown extremely attached to her. He told himself it was a brotherly instinct, but even brothers grew tired of their younger sisters. Aoshi never did. Not with Misao.  
  
It was her energy, her laugh, her smile, that gave him the desire to keep going. She was the reason behind his return, and she was the reason he had his Oniwabanshu uniform back.  
  
And now she was pissed at him.  
  
Aoshi carefully replaced the lid on the chest and rose. He slid the shoji door open and stepped out into the hall. It was dusk and Misao still hadn't returned.  
  
He walked down the stairs and headed straight for the main door.  
  
"Finally stopped grumbling huh?" Okina's voice stopped him. Aoshi turned to see the former ninja sitting quietly in the receiving room, his eyes closed and a huge grin plastered to his face.  
  
"I wasn't grumbling, Okina."  
  
"Yes, yes, whatever. Misao headed for the forest. That's her usual refuge whenever she's angry." Okina said, and took a sip of tea. Aoshi nodded, slid the door open, and walked out into the evening.  
  
Okina smiled to himself. 'It's good to have that boy back' he thought to himself. He had thought it everyday since Aoshi's return to the Aoiya. He hadn't told anyone, but he missed the young okashira terribly. Even now, with his silence and reclusive personality, just knowing he was upstairs, or at the temple, was enough to calm Okina. They had suffered enough loss with the deaths of Hannya, Shikijo, Beshimi, and Hyotoko. His family was together again, and that was what mattered to him the most.  
  
It took no time at all for Aoshi to make his way through the city and into the forest. Outwardly, he was calm and collected. Even in his mind he was silent. But deep in the recesses of his consciousness, he was pretty ticked at Misao for running off for no good reason. He didn't understand why she had yelled at him. He had been his usual self when she talked to him that morning. And she had been her usual self too.  
  
He long black braid was the same; her bright green eyes were the same, her uniform....  
  
Aoshi winced.  
  
She had not been wearing her uniform that morning. She had been wearing a very nice kimono, and he hadn't even noticed.  
  
"You've been spending too much time meditating, Shimomori." Aoshi muttered.  
  
In the 8 months since he returned to the Aoiya after the battle with Shishio, Aoshi had done nothing but meditate. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had registered the fact that Misao had grown up in his absence. But he was still the typical male overall, and failed to notice and then compliment her, while she wore a brand new kimono.  
  
Still mentally cursing himself, he set out into the forest. He figured he would find Misao somewhere in the centre, where there were fewer people walking. She would still be pretty angry, but ultimately, he would apologize, compliment, and then bring her home.  
  
It was only as he walked further from the outer edge of the forest that he started noticing something was amiss. The usual chatter of the wildlife was absent, as if there had been a big shock that silenced them. And there was a smell that clung in the air. It was faint, but Aoshi could sense it. Something that smelled burnt.  
  
The burnt smell increased as he proceeded, and his pace increased. He had a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong.  
  
He was right.  
  
He broke through some foliage only to see a large clearing in the distance. The setting sun provided very little light in the forest because of the thick branches overhead, but the clearing was void of any such branches so it was brighter.  
  
The clearing was chaos.  
  
It looked as if something exploded near the centre of it, there was a huge dirt crater in the middle, with debris littering the whole clearing. Dirt, rocks, branches, everything. There were several trees that had scorch marks on their trunks, and the lower branches had been cracked off.  
  
Aoshi stood and surveyed the damage for a few moments. His eyes swept the entire clearing, catching some detail now and then. In one end, there was a few piles of rope, Aoshi went over, bent down and picked up one piece. It had been cleanly sliced off with a sharp blade. Near each of the 5 piles, there was also a long piece of fabric. The ground was covered with dirt, but the faint impressions of bodies were still visible to his trained eye.  
  
There had been five small people bound and gagged in these exact spots just hours beforehand.  
  
Aoshi pocketed some of the rope, and one of the gags and stood up. His eyes swept over the clearing again. Branches, rocks, dirt... and a sheathed sword. He immediately went to the sword, stooped and inspected it. The saya was old and well worn, as well as the hilt of the katana. Aoshi picked it up carefully and a sudden stench of stale blood hit him. The sword in his hands had defiantly taken many lives once upon a time. He unsheathed the blade.  
  
It was clean. Perfect, meticulously, clean. The blade looked brand new, but Aoshi's gut told him it was well over a decade old. Whoever the owner was, they were proficient at cleaning and caring for their sword.  
  
Aoshi re-sheathed the blade and stood up. Not too far from the swords resting place, there was a pile of linen bandages. He went over and picked up a piece. It was off-white because of so much use, and it had blood on it. Someone out there was injured from the explosion.  
  
Using his training as a ninja, Aoshi scouted the scene and surrounding areas in an attempt to determine what happened. He found two kunai embedded in a tree trunk high off the ground, which pinned two pieces of light blue fabric. It looked like Misao had been there, and attempted to rescue the five prisoners from their captors. But she hadn't been the one to free them from their bindings. The clean cut of the rope could only have been made by a sharp sword, and kunai were no where near that sharp.  
  
That meant that someone else had shown up and helped Misao, someone who used a sword to slice the captives free, and then lost it when he got caught in the explosion. The bloody bandages had probably dressed a wound from the explosion or from the captors as they fought, and now they were all gone.  
  
With the sword, the bloody bandages, Misao's kunai, the blue fabric, the ropes and the gag, Aoshi left the clearing and headed back for the Aoiya. There were 5 possible witnesses he needed to find. He just hoped Misao had helped her fallen comrade and was safe back in Kyoto.  
  
He had a gut feeling that his hopes were futile, and Misao was gone.  
  
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The pigeon fluttered to a rest on the windowsill beside Okina. He glanced over at it and saw a message attached to its leg. He held out his hand and the bird flew into it. He quickly relieved the messenger of its baggage, and it flew out the window to return home. Obviously a response was not necessary.  
  
He hated getting letters through pigeons. It was usually Oniwabanshu business when information and news were brought to him through the birds. Try as he might, he knew he would never be fully retired. He would always be a member of the elite group of ninjas, and someone would always need their help.  
  
He opened the letter and read.  
  
Okina, come immediately, urgent. Uziu Kei.  
  
Okina frowned. He hadn't heard from Kei in a very long time. Anytime he got a message from Kei, something bad happened. It had been Kei that had brought the Kanryu job to Aoshi's attention. It had been a good job, but 4 members of the Oniwabanshu had died.  
  
Okina sighed. He couldn't very well ignore the letter. Although there were times when he wanted to more than anything, he couldn't. He stood up, grabbed his hat, and headed for the door.  
  
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Uziu Kei was an older gentleman, like Okina. He owned a small infirmary on the outskirts of town that doubled as a hostel. Anyone who needed medical attention, no questions asked, could be brought there. Kei was a wealth of information for the Oniwabanshu. After the revolution, Kei had retired as a doctor for soldiers and planned to raise his young daughter with his wife in peace. The hostel was a side hobby of his. He couldn't bring himself to stop practicing medicine.  
  
"Okina." A voice called. Okina turned and found Aoshi approaching the hostle. Okina noted the katana at his waist but made no comment. Aoshi would tell him in good time.  
  
"Aoshi. What brings you here?"  
  
"Misao is missing." Aoshi stated simply and knocked on the entrance to the hostel.  
  
"Missing! What do you mean?" Okina exclaimed. At the mere mention of Misao being unaccounted for caused his heart to clench painfully. The door slid open to reveal Uziu Kei. His silver hair was in disarray, his kimono was rumpled and there were dark circles under his eyes.  
  
"Okina, thank goodness you came. There's an extremely important matter we must discuss. Welcome Shinomori-san." The gentleman said, beckoning the pair inside. He slid the door shut behind them and led them to the waiting room.  
  
"Aoshi." Okina said, trying to get an explanation out of the silent man. Kei motioned for them to sit and the two complied.  
  
"We seem to have a problem, Okina." Kei said. Okina's attention was momentarily drawn from Aoshi at his friend's words. He noticed the frail doctor's pale looks immediately.  
  
"What is it?" Okina asked.  
  
"My daughter was almost kidnapped by a group of samurai today. She witnessed Misao being taken by them."  
  
Aoshi's worst fear was confirmed by the statement, and the empty hallow feeling in his stomach was immediately replaced by a burning ball of hatred and anger at the samurai. Whoever they were, they kidnapped the wrong girl for so many reasons!  
  
"Misao." Okina whispered. His blood had run cold. Misao was gone. Kidnapped.  
  
"That's not all. She said there had been a wanderer who stopped and helped them escape. Another samurai, she said. He carried a sword."  
  
The word 'wanderer' snapped both Aoshi and Okina out of their thoughts and forced their eyes back to Kei.  
  
"What?" Okina asked.  
  
"Wanderer?" Aoshi asked.  
  
"What did he look like?"  
  
Kei looked from the former ninja, to the present leader of the Oniwabanshu and back again. Apparently the word 'wanderer' meant something to them.  
  
"I don't know. Linn didn't say." Kei replied, referring to his daughter. "But she did say the kidnappers all wore the same light blue haori's with a white diamond pattern on the sleeves. She remembered that distinctly." Aoshi pulled one of the bits of fabric out of his sleeve and looked at it. There was a small scrap of white on the otherwise blue fabric. It must have been part of the diamond pattern on the sleeve. "She also said that there had been a great explosion."  
  
Aoshi's original thoughts were all confirmed by Uziu Linn's story. Misao was taken by a group of samurai, they all wore blue haori's, and there had been a third party.... a 'wanderer' who had come to the rescue. At least until the explosion and then who knew what happened to the wanderer? But one thing was for sure and that was the fact that Misao was missing.  
  
"Why had Linn remembered the haori's so distinctly?" Okina asked.  
  
"She remembered seeing them when she was a young girl during the revolution." Kei replied warily, running a hand over his face.  
  
"The revolution?" Aoshi asked.  
  
"Yes. It was the uniform of the Shinsengumi."  
  
------------------------------  
  
Aoshi put some extra kunai and a few onigiri's into a bag he was packing. He was in his full Oniwabanshu uniform and his two kodachi were resting on his folded up futon, ready to be secured to his waist. He tied the bag ends together and closed it firmly. Grabbing his kodachi's he turned to the door to find Okina standing in its frame.  
  
"Are you going to find Misao?" Okina asked. Their journey back from Kei's had been a silent one. Aoshi had been his usual self and kept his thoughts inside. Okina still hadn't asked about the sword, but he didn't have to. He knew that Aoshi kept things only for a reason, and that sword must have had an impact on him. It now rested on the sword alter in his room on the higher position, just above his original kodachi .  
  
Aoshi had purposefully kept the sword. The smell of old blood prevented him from throwing it away. He had a very distinct feeling that it was a very special sword to whoever owned it. He also had a feeling that the wanderer was the owner of the sword and if he ever met the man, he would want to return his sword.  
  
"No, I'm not." He replied. Okina was surprised by the response. He was so sure that Aoshi would go out hunting for the lost girl immediately.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because this is more than we can handle." Aoshi replied.  
  
Once upon a time Aoshi would never dream of asking for help from anyone. His pride and ego prevented him from being a proper ninja and leader. Both needed to rely on their team mates and needed to know when to ask for help from those best suited for the job. Aoshi knew now was a time when he would need help.  
  
Aoshi moved past Okina and proceeded down the dark hallway. Night had fallen and Misao had been missing for a few hours. If he left now, he would reach his destination in a day or so, if his horse ran most of the way. Time was of the essence and the next train wasn't until two days time.  
  
"Then where are you going?" Okina asked, following the young man down the stairs to the main entrance.  
  
"Tokyo. I'll be back in two days." Aoshi replied, and then disappeared into the night.  
  
"Tokyo." Okina murmured. He smiled for the first time since that afternoon as he listened to Aoshi's retreating footsteps. The man was going to Tokyo to get the best possible ally in this new fight.  
  
Himura Kenshin.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
Kenshin stood in the kitchen of the Kamiya home cutting up the blocks of tofu into smaller pieces. He didn't mind the mundane task of cooking. He loved doing it ever since he started cooking for himself and Hideki back during the revolution.  
  
Kenshin's chopping paused.  
  
Hideki Sakura. He hadn't thought of her in a very long time.  
  
"Kenshin, is dinner ready yet?" a soft voice called behind him. Kenshin turned slightly and smiled over his shoulder at the young woman in the doorway.  
  
Kamiya Kaoru stood in her plain purple kimono. Her raven black hair swept up in a ponytail and tied back with a blue ribbon that brought out the depth of her blue eyes. She smiled gently at her rurouni as she watched him chopping.  
  
"Very soon Kaoru-dono. This unworthy one just needs to add the tofu to the stew." Kenshin replied, returning to his chopping.  
  
"Alright, I'll prepare the table." she said, and left the kitchen. Kenshin paused in his chopping again for a moment and allowed himself to think about the woman who just left.  
  
She had somehow managed to break down the wall he had erected around himself and found a way into his heart. Not only as a friend, but as something much more. She had become his life. Without her, he wouldn't have much to live for. He would still live, but it had already been proven that he would be a mere shell of a man without her. He lost her once, he wasn't going to lose her again.  
  
Of course, he didn't bother telling HER this. He couldn't. He wasn't worthy of her. He had done too many terrible things in his life to ever deserve the happiness she could give him, or even the happiness he already had for that matter.  
  
A huge crash, followed by some yelling snapped him out of his trance. Quickly depositing the tofu into the stew, Kenshin covered the steaming liquid to allow it to heat some more, and left the kitchen to see what was broken.  
  
He entered the sitting room only to find it in disarray. The bowls, chopsticks and sitting mats were strewn everywhere, the table was overturned, and Kaoru had Yahiko pinned as she pummeled him with her boken.  
  
Myojin Yahiko, first apprentice of the Kamiya Kasshin Style stood no chance up against his teacher. Kaoru was much too smart to allow him the upper hand. Their current position was probably due to him mouthing off about her looks, as he usually did.  
  
"Mah, mah! Yahiko this unworthy one has told you time and again that you should not make fun of Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said as he righted the table. At Kenshin's presence Kaoru immediately stopped her beating of Yahiko and got to her feet.  
  
"Kenshin, tell this ugly girl to stop being so ugly, and I'll stop making fun of her!" Yahiko scoffed as he brushed himself off.  
  
"Kaoru-dono is not ugly, Yahiko. This unworthy one thinks she is quite beautiful." Kenshin replied, placing the bowls and chopsticks back on the table neatly. The moment he spoke the words, he wished he hadn't. They were the truth of course, but he knew Kaoru had a small crush on him, and he wouldn't allow her to be stuck with someone as lowly as himself. In order for her attentions to leave him, he constantly avoided any sort of confrontation. However, that carefully laid out plan was just blown out of the water by his slip.  
  
Kaoru blushed prettily and dipped her head to hide it. Kenshin swallowed his own discomfort and resumed his cleanup.  
  
"UGH! How could you say that about her Kenshin? I had respect for you!" Yahiko sneered, grinning evilly at Kaoru.  
  
As much as he insulted the woman, Yahiko loved Kaoru a hell of a lot more than anyone else could. She was his mother, sister, friend, and teacher. She was his centre. It was Kaoru who dragged him away from the yakuza's and brought him under her roof.  
  
She had a profound effect on several men who were blessed with her friendship and love.  
  
"Why you-!" Kaoru started, rolling up her sleeve. Yahiko ducked behind Kenshin for protection.  
  
"Kaoru-dono! Please don't be hasty!" Kenshin exclaimed.  
  
A pounding on the main gate of the property stopped any encounter from happening. There was a moment where everyone froze, Yahiko clinging to the back of Kenshin's gi, Kaoru holding the front in a vain attempt to get to the kid through the samurai and Kenshin stuck in the middle facing a very angry Kaoru.  
  
The pounding continued.  
  
"Battousai!" a voice called. A very familiar voice.  
  
Kenshin left the sitting room and went out to the main gate. Kaoru and Yahiko close behind him. He opened the door to reveal a sweating, heavily breathing Shinomori Aoshi.  
  
"Aoshi." Kenshin said.  
  
"I need your help." Aoshi said. Kenshin took one look at the ninja and stepped aside, granting him entrance into the gardens. There was something extremely wrong in Kyoto if Aoshi came and asked for help.  
  
Aoshi stepped through the door and without a word between the two, Kenshin lead him into the sitting room. Kaoru and Yahiko merely exchanged glances and followed.  
  
Kaoru didn't want to know the reason for Aoshi's unexpected visit. Just by looking at his face, she could tell it wasn't good news. And if it was bad news coming from Aoshi, that would mean Kenshin would once again set off for Kyoto, one place Kaoru didn't want him to go.  
  
"I'll get straight to the point Himura." Aoshi said after seating himself. Kaoru froze in her position. Aoshi never called Kenshin anything but 'Battousai'. For him to suddenly switch names like that something terrible must have happened.  
  
There was a brief pause, as if Aoshi had a hard time voicing the request.  
  
But Kaoru saw it. The flash of ache in his eyes. Something akin to regret. Aoshi's normally cool exterior crumbled before her eyes just from that slight change.  
  
"Misao has been kidnapped."  
  
Shock coursed through the three residents of the Kamiya dojo. Misao had been kidnapped!?  
  
"By what has now been confirmed as a group of Shinsengumi samurai."  
  
There it was. The link that forced Kenshin back to his murderous past as a manslayer. It always came back to haunt him, no matter what was asked, it always had to do with his past.  
  
Kenshin's heart fell to his feet.  
  
There was nothing anyone could do or say to change the fact that Kenshin was once again needed in the worst possible place to him, Kyoto. He would return to that city, and fight for his life all over again. But he would never complain, and he would never imagine refusing. Especially since someone very dear to him had been kidnapped.  
  
Yahiko sat in silent shock.  
  
But the Shinsengumi. Kenshin highly doubted he was still strong enough to deal with a group of them. He may have acquired the Hiten Mitsurugi succession technique the previous year, but even as the strongest ishin hitokiri, he had always had backup whenever he was against a group of opposing samurai.  
  
All thoughts of Shinsengumi were immediately pushed aside in Kenshin's head. He would deal with them when the time came. The most important matter was that Misao was gone, and Aoshi needed his help.  
  
"When do we leave?" Kenshin asked simply.  
  
Kaoru remained frozen, and a slow silent tear slipped down her face.  
  
Kenshin was going back to Kyoto to face his past once again.  
  
___________________________________  
  
A.N. Righto, that's the end of this chapter. I think I'll be okay regarding writing now. I think this chapter was hard cuz I wasn't sure how to work Kenshin/Kaoru/Yahiko into the story.  
  
One of the other problems I've been having is the question of whether or not Sano/Megumi will be in this fic. Seeing as how I stuck to the manga storyline in the prequal and worked around it, I've come to a crossroads as to whether or not those two will be in this fic. I'd love to hear any feedback anyone may have. So let me know what you think!  
  
Thanks! 


	3. The Past Returns ch2

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine.  
  
A.N. GOMEN! I know I said I would try to get this chapter out sooner, but I'm been swamped with work. I intend to update my other on-going fanfic once a week, but it's a whole lot easier to write than this one is. So the chapters for this story may have larger intervals between updates. But don't worry! It won't be like months between updates. It'll be more like two weeks between updates. I hope this is okay with all of you wonderful readers out there!  
  
Anyways, here's the next chapter, R&R!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
_________________________________________________  
  
Ginji turned his head for the tenth time to be sure the young woman was still following him. She remained the proper distance behind him, with her head bowed low and her hands clasped in front of her. She wore the simple kimono Ginji had provided for her, and her hair was simply pulled back and tied at the base of her neck. She was the picture of an obedient woman.  
  
But her bangs covered the bandage on her forehead and blocked the scratches on her face. The kimono covered all the bruises and lacerations that covered her whole body, not to mention the countless scars that the girl possessed.  
  
The questions that arose from her appearance went unanswered. The girl had absolutely no memory whatsoever. She couldn't remember how she had gotten her scars, she couldn't remember what had happened to result in her severe injuries, and she couldn't even remember her name.  
  
Ginji decided to call upon his only friend left alive in Kyoto. Okina, of the Oniwabanshu.  
  
"Ano. Where are we going Rumiko-san?" the girl asked quietly. Ginji smiled over his shoulder at her.  
  
"We're going to see a friend of mine. He may be able to help us find out who you are, Ojouchan." he replied. He had taken to calling her Ojouchan, but knew that if she was going to continue to be in his company, he would have to think of a temporary name for her. He just hoped that Okina would be able to help.  
  
It had been two days since he had found the girl. She had slept through the first 24 hours, but had finally woken up the previous evening. He had questioned her as best he could, but she had no memory to answer his questions. He had provided her with some food, and then she slipped back into unconsciousness until that morning.  
  
Ginji had realized that without her memory, the girl had to be protected. So he had picked up a kimono for her, as well as some other items that a woman would need including a hairbrush and undergarments. He had decided to keep her in his company until she fully recovered from her injuries, as well as completely restored her memories.  
  
She needed to be protected from whoever had hurt her.  
  
"You know, Ojouchan, you may be in my company for quite some time. If my friend cannot help us immediately, then I wish to extend my roof to you. I'd like you to stay with me until you recover your memories." Ginji said, stopping in his tracks. The girl stopped just a few steps behind him and stared at him in wide-eyed shock.  
  
"Rumiko-san, that is very kind of you but....."  
  
"Then it's settled then!" Ginji interrupted. He didn't want to hear any arguments from her. Even though it had only been two days since he found her, he had grown accustomed to her company, even while she was asleep. Ginji started walking again, whistling a soft tune as he proceeded down the crowded roads. "If you're going to spend some time in my company, we should come up with a name for you, shouldn't we?"  
  
The girl blinked at the retreating back, and then resumed her pace behind the older man. He was a strange one, but she could tell he had a good soul, and a heart of gold. He was a good man, and she felt she could trust him. She smiled at his back, and then bent her head again to hide her battered face from wandering eyes.  
  
"If you think we should Rumiko-san." she said quietly. Ginji smiled and continued on his way.  
  
"You know, if I ever had a daughter, I would have named her Reiya. I think that name would suit you perfectly." Ginji replied.  
  
"Reiya." the girl whispered. An uneasy feeling washed over her. She felt an uncontrollable urge to run. She didn't want a new name. She wanted her old name. She knew it meant a great deal to her, she could feel it in her heart. Whatever her name was, she loved its significance a great deal. She knew that for sure.  
  
"It's settled then! Reiya." Ginji said, and continued whistling his tune.  
  
"Please! Stop!" a voice cried. Immediately Reiya whipped around to see three men surrounding a woman at a fruit and vegetable stand. The produce was scattered around the ground, some of it crushed beneath the feet of the three men, one held a knife, one held a wooden club, and the other was in the midst of destroying the small wooden stand.  
  
All thoughts cleared from Reiya's mind as instinct swept over her, gripping her very being. She quickly and silently made her way towards the three men. Before Ginji even realized Reiya was no longer behind him, the man armed with the club was weaponless, and his arm was broken. A scream alerted Ginji to an altercation and he turned to see a shocking site.  
  
Reiya whipped around, brandishing the club like an expert. The man with the knife launched himself at the weak looking woman. She brought the club around and hit him squarely in the hand, knocking the knife out of his grasp and sending it sailing down the dirt road. She stepped back, and thrust the club into his gut, knocking the wind out of him and rendering him temporarily stunned. The third man, the one who had been attacking the stand, turned towards the sound of a struggle only to have the club connect with the side of his face. Some of his teeth were dislodged when the bones in his jaw snapped and the club splintered against his face.  
  
If Reiya had been using a sword, all three men would have been dead in a matter of seconds.  
  
Ginji as well as everyone on the scene who had witnessed the exchange stood frozen in astonishment. The girl stood in the midst of three fallen men, she hadn't broken a sweat, and she wasn't breathing heavily. Her eyes were hard as she stared down at the unconscious men.  
  
"Reiya." Ginji said softly.  
  
Reiya stood glaring down at the three idiots who insisted on causing trouble and picking on poor defenseless townspeople. Why couldn't they just accept the peace that had been achieved? Why did they have to continue to bully and bother innocent people? The sound of her new name spoken softly snapped Reiya out of her trance. She raised her eyes to Ginji, only to find him, and another dozen or so people staring at her in shock and horror.  
  
Reiya felt all eyes on her, as if she were a demon. The handle of the club was still firmly grasped in her hand. She immediately dropped it as if it were poison. She started to panic. Where had that reaction come from?! What had she just done?!  
  
Ginji watched her breathing rate increase. He saw the panic in her eyes, just like what he had seen when he had found her at the riverside. He quickly ran to her side, put an arm around her shaking shoulders, and escorted her from the scene. The group of people gave the two plenty of space as Ginji practically ran off the street, dragging a shocked and disoriented Reiya beside him.  
  
-----------------------------  
  
Aoshi and Kenshin stood at the rear deck of the passenger train they were on. The noise of the wind and the train's engines made conversing difficult between the two, but it was necessary to speak away from the others. The wind whipped Kenshin's hakama around his legs and his hair blew around his shoulders. Aoshi's ties flicked back and forth from the wind, and his bangs moved back and forth in front of his eyes.  
  
"Are you sure it was the Shinsengumi?" Kenshin asked quietly. The name hadn't been mentioned since the previous evening when Aoshi had first arrived. Kenshin agreed to travel to Kyoto so they had the Tokyo Oniwabanshu get tickets for passage to Kyoto on the train that left early the next morning. The train services had been down the previous days due to mechanical problems, which was why Aoshi had ridden a horse all the way to Tokyo.  
  
"The girl said she recognized the uniform. Blue haori's with a white diamond pattern on the sleeve." Aoshi replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the scraps of cloth he had retrieved from the clearing and held them out to Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin took one look at the horribly familiar colour and took the cloth from Aoshi's grasp. The last time he had seen this colour was during the battle of Toba Fushimi. There had been a sea of them in that great fight. Many of those men had died that night, as well as many of his comrades.  
  
Toba Fushimi was the last place he saw his sister.  
  
Kenshin blinked. That was the second time he had thought of her recently.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kenshin." Aoshi said. Kenshin snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Aoshi in astonishment. The leader of the elite group of ninja's wasn't acting like his usual self at all. For one, the man was apologizing for something. And for another, he was no longer addressing the former manslayer by his nickname.  
  
"Aoshi." Kenshin said.  
  
"I'm sorry I dragged you back to Kyoto. I know that place holds many horrible memories for you, just as Tokyo holds bad memories for me. But I needed your help in this. You're the only man I could turn to."  
  
"Aoshi, you don't need to apologize to me. This unworthy one has learned that running from a past you cannot escape is a never ending battle. It is best to come to terms with what has happened in the past and try to live with it. This unworthy one cannot give back the lives taken by my sword, but this unworthy one can help those who are still alive today."  
  
"Come to terms with a past." Aoshi repeated thoughtfully.  
  
"Although Kyoto holds many bad memories for this unworthy one, Misao is in danger and that alone is enough to have me return to my former home, de gozaru." Kenshin said.  
  
"I thank you, Battousai, for coming through like this. But you said you have come to terms with your past, correct?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
"Then why do you still refer to yourself as an unworthy one?"  
  
Kenshin froze, finding no answer for the question. Had he really come to terms with his past? Or what he only lying to himself? He knew was somewhat recovered from his self induced torture over Tomoe's death. That part of himself had been released once Kaoru had been rescued from Enishi's island. But had he truly accepted everything else in his past? His countless murders? His failure to protect those around him completely?  
  
Aoshi pushed off from the railing he had been leaning on and left the samurai to his thoughts.  
  
No, he had come to terms with his past. He knew he couldn't turn back the time and stop himself from killing. If he had to make that decision again, he would make the same one. They why did he continue to view himself as unworthy?  
  
"Kenshin?" Kaoru's voice came behind him. Kenshin turned and smiled at the woman as she took the empty place beside him. "Are you alright? You seem upset."  
  
"This unworthy one is fine Kaoru-dono." Kenshin replied easily. He didn't want to trouble Kaoru with his own messed up thoughts. She was very concerned about her friend already.  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked again, her blue eyes shimmering with concern for him. Kenshin smiled. He had obviously done something right in his life if Kami-sama blessed him with Kaoru's presence.  
  
Kenshin nodded and turned his attention back to the retreating land as the train raced towards Kyoto.  
  
"Do you think Misao is okay?" Kaoru asked after a moment of silence. Kenshin heard the strain in her voice and turned back to her. She had her head bent forward; hiding her eyes, but Kenshin didn't need to seem them. He saw the tears slip silently down her cheek. Kenshin reached out and gently brushed away the tears he could see. Kaoru turned her face up towards him in astonishment. Kenshin smiled down at her and let his hand fall back to his side.  
  
"I'm sure she's fine. Misao is a strong girl." Kenshin said, smiling. Kaoru smiled in return, momentarily calmed by Kenshin's words and smile. But the questions burned in everyone's mind. Was Misao okay? Where was she? Who were these Shinsengumi samurai and why were they kidnapping young women?  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Misao leaned against the wall of the room she was held prisoner in. It was a strange room for a prisoner to be held in. It was large, with many clean futons, a very clean floor, some books, and a basin of water for washing that had been regularly freshened by one of the samurai. She was provided with food at all meal times, and tea was served to her in the middle of the afternoon.  
  
It was the strangest set up for a prison.  
  
She had been taken prisoner two days ago. When she woke up she had found herself in this room, all her injuries from the blast had been tended to, and even the samurai who had thrown the stick had apologized to her for placing her in danger. It was a strained apology, and the man she identified as the leader had stood over him and watched the apology with a calculating eye, but the apology had been given anyways.  
  
Misao was sure no prisoner had ever been treated so well.  
  
Unfortunatly, there was one thing she could complain about, aside from the fact that she was held prisoner in the first place, was the fact that no one would talk to her. She didn't know WHY she was being held prisoner. She didn't know what was going to happen to her because she knew that this situation wouldn't last forever. These men had a plan of some sort, or else she wouldn't be held prisoner for two days!  
  
Misao sighed. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see Jiya, and the other members of the Oniwabanshu who worked at the Aoiya.  
  
She wanted to see Aoshi.  
  
The door of her room slid open to reveal the man Misao identified as the leader. He had brown eyes and light brown hair that was cut short like Aoshi's. He wore a white gi and grey hakama and had his sword tucked into the ties of his hakama. It was the first time she had seen him since the 'apology'.  
  
"Makimachi-san." he said, bowing before her. Misao pressed up against the wall even more. She hadn't told him her name. How had he learned it? The man laughed. "Don't act so surprised. You aren't the only ones who can collect information."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Misao said defensively. No one knew the Oniwabanshu were still active. At least, no one who wasn't a trusted ally.  
  
"Of course not, Makimachi Misao former leader of the Oniwabanshu." the man snorted as he entered the room and closed the door behind him, locking them both in the room alone. He started towards her in slow, small steps. Misao felt panic rising in her stomach. Stamping it down, she crouched in a defensive position.  
  
"Well, if you know that, then you know what I'm capable of. Don't you dare touch me or I'll kill you!" she warned. The man stopped in his track halfway from the door. He smiled at the girl before him.  
  
"I have no intention of touching you Makimachi-san. I already told you that two days ago, and I never lie." Misao relaxed at his words. Somewhere deep down, she knew that he spoke the truth, and she could believe him.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Takei Kyosuke. I am the leader of this group of samurai."  
  
"Why were you taking those women?"  
  
"Because beautiful young women such as yourself would bring a good price."  
  
Misao found herself pressing against the wall again. Her stomach heaved at the words.  
  
"Price?" she whispered. Kyosuke smiled at her reaction.  
  
"Price, Makimachi-san. It seems that quiet, obedient women such as Japanese women are in high demand in other countries by very wealthy men. They want a docile, beautiful woman to obey their every command." Kyosuke replied, walking towards the stunned Misao.  
  
She couldn't move. The fear that suddenly gripped her heart was paralyzing. He was planning to sell those women?!  
  
"Although, women such as you. Well...." Kyosuke trailed off. Misao bowed her head, averting her eyes from an enemy for the first time in her life. She hated herself for the fear she felt, but she couldn't help herself. Kyosuke grabbed her chin and forced her eyes back to his. Kyosuke's face was inches from Misao's. Her bright green eyes were fearful and his brown eyes were glinting in triumph. "You, my dear Misao, are beautiful, and you have a streak of independence that many men will find irresistible. I know I find you irresistible." Misao shuddered inwardly. "You will fetch a nice price my dear."  
  
"NO!" she exclaimed, shoving Kyosuke away as hard as she could. She escaped to the furthest place in the room knowing full well that an attempt at escape would be futile. Her last three had ended at the door, where there were three samurai's positioned as guard.  
  
Kyosuke merely laughed. He looked at the frightened and angry woman at the opposite wall. She would defiantly fetch a high price.  
  
"Don't worry my dear. We need more women before we can hold the auction. So you can just wait. Your turn will come." Kyosuke said and then exited the room. Misao slumped against the wall and her already weakened legs finally gave out on her. She sunk to the floor in absolute horror.  
  
Price.  
  
Auction.  
  
Misao started to cry, silent tears slid down her cheeks.  
  
"I want to go home."  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Okina sat in the upper receiving room of the Aoiya, before him sat his old friend Rumiko Ginji, and behind him sat the mysterious woman Ginji had brought with him.  
  
Okina and Ginji had been childhood friends, they had grown up together, Okina a junior member of the Oniwabanshu, and Ginji an apprentice to the group's personal doctor. They had hit it off the moment they met many years ago and had remained friends ever since.  
  
Ginji had arrived at the Aoiya moments beforehand, very flustered. He had his arm protectively around the girl, and she was in a state of shock. Okina immediately showed them into the receiving room and ordered Omasu to bring a cup of strong tea for the girl.  
  
Omasu entered the room and placed tea before the two men, then offered the young girl her drink. The girl kept her eyes downcast and merely stared at the steaming liquid when Omasu placed it in front of her.  
  
Ginji waited for Omasu to leave the room before turning to Okina and speaking.  
  
"I need your help, Nenji." Ginji said. Okina merely nodded. It must have been serious if Ginji used his real name. Since given his nickname, Ginji had refused to call Okina anything but 'Okina'. He had jokingly said that since Okina had received a new name from the Oniwabanshu, then he, a lowly doctor, had to show respect and call his old friend by his ninja name.  
  
"Was this girl one of the other victims of the Shinsengumi attack?" Okina asked. Even if she wasn't, Okina trusted Ginji enough to tell him of happenings in the underworld.  
  
"Attacks?"  
  
Reiya stared at the steaming hot liquid, only half listening to the conversation taking place before her. Feelings were emerging as she stared into the tea. Terror, fear, anger. Everything bad. But it was the word 'Shinsengumi', coupled with the steaming tea, which triggered a flood of painful memories, making her head feel like it was about to explode. Reiya gasped audibly, clutched at her hair and then let out a bloodcurdling scream in response to the horrifying images playing out in her head.  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
Aoshi, Kenshin, Yahiko and Kaoru were walking towards the Aoiya. Their train had arrived and they immediately set off towards the inn. Aoshi had left Okina with the task of finding out what was going on with the squad and the kidnapping attempt. Deep down, the ninja hoped the old man had found Misao and she was safe at home, but logic told him that was impossible to hope for.  
  
They were silently heading for the Aoiya, in the crowded street, when a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. For a heartbeat everything and everyone stood at a stand still.  
  
Kenshin felt his blood run cold. He had heard that scream one dark night many years ago and knew he would never forget its sound. He didn't hesitate when he took off at a run towards the origin of the sound.  
  
'It can't be....' he thought.  
  
Kaoru's heart leapt in fear at the sound of the scream, Yahiko froze and Aoshi immediately started to move towards the Aoiya, but when Kenshin broke into a run, they all quickly followed the samurai.  
  
Kenshin flew to the entrance of the Aoiya, where he was sure the sound emitted, and threw open the door. He didn't bother to remove his dirty sandals as he took the steps two at a time, heading for the upper receiving room. The same room he and Okina had shared tea, just before the fight with Shishio, one year beforehand.  
  
'It can't be!' his thoughts screamed as he reached the landing of the upper level. At the end of the hall the members of the Oniwabanshu stood crowded around the door of the upper receiving room. Not bothering with his normal pleasantries, Kenshin pushed aside each member, forcing himself into the room.  
  
Aoshi, Kaoru and Yahiko followed close behind, stopped when the entered the room, only to see exactly what Kenshin saw.  
  
Okina and Ginji were bent over the unconscious form of a badly beaten girl. They both looked up at the red-head who had frozen at the sight.  
  
Ginji recognized Aoshi immediately. He didn't know who the young woman was, nor was he familiar with the young boy. But the red-head seemed unsettlingly familiar.  
  
Kenshin found himself staring at the woman who had been in his thoughts several times since the previous day.  
  
Hideki Sakura.  
  
Recalling the last moment he had seen her eleven years beforehand, Kenshin reached up and touched his left cheek which he had covered with a bandage in order to detract attention from himself while in Kyoto.  
  
"Sakura." he whispered.  
  
_____________________________________  
  
A.N. Well, that's the next chapter. I figured it was high time to get back to Misao. I mean, she couldn't have disappeared like that and not be heard from again, could she?! Plus that and it was also high time to find out why the shinsengumi were kidnapping those women.  
  
It took a lot of deliberating with myself, but I decided (FOR NOW!) that Sanosuke will not appear in this fanfic. I love the rooster-head too much though and I'd really like to write him into a story. Maybe I will write him into later chapters. I have yet to figure out how, but give me time! I'm sure something will pop into my head. And if it doesn't then I can go with my 'sticking to the manga storyline' idea.  
  
Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and stay tuned for the next installment!! 


	4. The past returns ch 3

Disclaimer: RK and related characters are not mine; I merely borrowed them for my story.  
  
A.N. I know, it's been a while since I updated. I'm sorry. :'( Classes, study, exams and the Christmas rush ate my time and spit it back out at me, knocking me off my feet. (  
  
Anyways, here's the next chapter!  
  
R&R!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
______________________________  
  
Kaoru heard the whisper from her beloved rurouni and felt a sharp stab of pain shoot through her chest. She glanced back down to the unconscious girl again. Her face was bruised, and there was a large bandage on her forehead, no doubt hiding a large gash. She had long brown hair tied neatly at the nape of her neck and wore a simple kimono.  
  
The obi of the kimono wasn't tied very well, Kaoru noted.  
  
Kenshin dropped to his knees beside the fallen girl and brushed some of her hair out of her face.  
  
It was her alright. There was no doubt in his mind. This was his sister.  
  
"Himura-kun, you know this girl?" Okina asked. Kenshin looked up into his old friend's eyes. Ginji was wary of the man beside him. There was something about him that made the old doctor nervous. He was achingly familiar.  
  
Omasu entered the room with a bowl full of cold water and a strip of cloth. She handed it to Ginji and moved away from the group. Ginji wet the cloth and placed it on Reiya's forehead.  
  
"Yes, I knew her back when we...." Kenshin stopped. He couldn't say it. He couldn't finish the sentence 'back when we were manslayers'. She was wearing a kimono; they thought she was just a regular everyday Japanese woman. Not a former manslayer with blood-stained hands and a horrible past. ".... knew each other." He finished lamely.  
  
Aoshi noticed the hesitation on Kenshin's part. Mentally he filed the information away to ask about later.  
  
Kaoru noticed the absence of 'this unworthy one'. Who was this woman? And what was she to Kenshin?  
  
"What's her name?" Okina asked, looking down at her. Kenshin's eyes snapped upwards to look at the former ninja.  
  
"What do you mean? Didn't she tell you?" Kenshin asked, genuinely confused. Okina shook his head.  
  
"She has no memory." Ginji spoke softly. He couldn't help but feel crushed at the fact that someone knew Reiya. He expected it, but he didn't like the idea of losing his companion. He hadn't realized how lonely he was until Reiya entered his life.  
  
"No memory." Kenshin repeated.  
  
For a brief moment, Kenshin had had a burst of hope. With Hideki back, he figured finding Misao and taking care of the Shinsengumi would be a whole lot easier. But with his sister having no memory.....  
  
Now he was in trouble.  
  
He gently brushed his fingertips against the bandage on her forehead and he felt anger surge through him.  
  
"Who did this to her?" he growled, looking up at Okina with amber eyes. Her scream, her bruises, everything pointed to one thing in Kenshin's mind, and he didn't like that thought one bit.  
  
Ginji felt his heart constrict as the amber-eyed man glared at him. He knew that face! Those eyes, the red hair, and he was positive that the bandage on his face covered the legendary scar on his left cheek.  
  
Hitokiri Battousai.  
  
"I don't know." Ginji replied, suddenly understanding why he had felt ill at ease when the man had entered the room. "I found her like this two days ago."  
  
Kaoru saw the change in Kenshin's features, heard the tone of his voice, she knew it. He was angry. VERY angry. She took a tentative step forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Kenshin?" she asked quietly. Kenshin turned his face toward Kaoru and blinked. She only caught a glimpse of amber, but she knew it had been there. He had been very angry, and she could tell he still was. But his conscious effort to keep his anger in check had caused him to look up at her with his normal, gentle amethyst eyes.  
  
Kenshin felt Kaoru's presence and immediately calmed down. The woman had an amazing ability to calm him. Just by looking up at her, he felt better. He was no less angry, but his rage had been calmed. He knew that he had no control over the past, and therefore he couldn't change what had happened to Hideki.  
  
"What's her name, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, repeating Okina's question.  
  
"Hideki Sakura."  
  
"Sakura." Ginji whispered, staring down at the girl before him. Somehow, the name suited her. Sakura moaned and stirred. The entire room snapped to attention as they leaned over her, watching as she struggled to open her eyes.  
  
Ever so slowly, Sakura lifted her eyelids and gazed at the faces floating overhead. There was the old man, Okina, Ginji, a young blue eyed girl, and a red haired man. Sakura's eyes locked with the amethyst eyes of Kenshin. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. Somehow, his face was oddly familiar, but it looked wrong for some reason.  
  
Sakura lifted her hand towards the man. Her fingers lightly brushed his bangs aside, revealing his left cheek. She felt the bandage on his face, took hold of an end, and pulled it free, revealing his scar.  
  
The room remained frozen as Sakura dropped the bandage and brushed her fingertips along Kenshin's scar. Kaoru felt her heart constrict and a shot of jealousy coursed through her for a moment. Okina and Ginji watched in amazement, while Aoshi watched with avid interest. There was defiantly some sort of connection between Kenshin and Sakura. The Oniwabanshu members were shocked at the girl as she touched the Battousai with no apparent fear. Only a handful of people had ever done so. Yahiko, in the mean time, was utterly shocked at Kenshin's reaction. He knew the samurai as well as any 11 year old could know a fully grown man, and he knew that she was no ordinary woman if Kenshin allowed her such liberties.  
  
The red hair, the cross scar, the whole face was so familiar. At least with the bandage off, the man's face seemed more familiar, but something was missing. Something still wasn't right. Sakura knew it.  
  
Images flew through her mind. She saw horrifying visions. She remembered the three men wearing blue and calling themselves Shinsengumi. She remembered what they had done to her.  
  
She remembered the smell of blood.  
  
She remembered amber eyes.  
  
Her eyes widened as she stared up at Kenshin. An image of him with his red hair pulled high on his head, frightening amber eyes, and blood all over his face entered her mind.  
  
She pressed her hand against his cheek, covering his scar and said the first name that came into her mind.  
  
"Himura."  
  
Kenshin's eyes widened. He had remained frozen for the whole time, but at her whisper, he reached up and grabbed her hand.  
  
"Sakura!" he said, relief coursing through him. She remembered him! At the name, she blinked, and the far off look she had in her eyes moments before vanished totally, and along with it, her memory of the man before her.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, snatching her hand away from his as if she had been burned. Kenshin's heart fell to his feet.  
  
"Sakura, it's me. Kenshin. You know me." he said. Sakura sat up slowly and inched away from the unsettlingly familiar red-head.  
  
"I don't know you. Who are you?" She asked again. Kenshin looked into her confused blue eyes and saw a trace of fear. Fear! His own sister.... afraid of him.  
  
Sakura couldn't help but feel a little fear when it came to the man before her. He reminded her heart of something painful, some horrible memory that was just outside her grasp. It felt like her heart was constricting in her chest and she had the urge to burst into tears.  
  
She could smell blood. From him and from herself.  
  
Sakura backed further away from Kenshin and he watched her in bewilderment. He made the motion to approach her, but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
  
Kaoru saw the fear in the girl's eyes and felt compassion. She stopped Kenshin with a firm hand on his shoulder and stepped in front of him.  
  
"Don't be afraid, he won't hurt you. He's worried about you. My name is Kaoru, you're Sakura, right?" Kaoru said, smiling gently at the girl and kneeling before her. Sakura visibly relaxed in her presence.  
  
For some strange reason, the young girl before her calmed Sakura immensely, she had a gentle aura about her that made her very approachable and trustworthy.  
  
"Sakura." She repeated, listening to the name again. Hearing it made her heart feel warm as some far off memory tried to push its way through the fog in her mind. "Yes. My name is Sakura!" she exclaimed. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Well Sakura, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'd love to show you the gardens here, they are beautiful." Kaoru said. She had the feeling that a private conversation between Kenshin, Okina, and the other older man was a top priority.  
  
Sakura smiled. She liked the girl before her immediately. Kaoru seemed to emit a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere that would make anyone comfortable.  
  
"I'd like that very much." Sakura replied. She wasn't interested in seeing the garden, but any excuse to get away from the red-head who smelled of old blood and made her head pound with painful memories was a good excuse.  
  
Kenshin watched his sister leave the room, closely followed by the woman he loved. Kaoru glanced over her shoulder at him, shooting him a look that told him that if he didn't inform her of the entire conversation that was about to take place, there would be hell to pay.  
  
Hitokiri Battousai was indeed afraid of a small woman named Kamiya Kaoru. He would repeat the conversation verbatim if it meant escaping one of her poundings. He nodded in response as she slid the shoji door shut behind her.  
  
The members of the Oniwanabshu, Aoshi, Yahiko, Ginji and Okina all stared at the shut shoji door before simultaneously turning their heads to look at Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin's eyes swept over each face as the owner stared at him.  
  
"Oro?"  
  
He had no more than uttered the word when Yahiko whipped out his shinai and whacked Kenshin in the head with it.  
  
"Not 'oro'! Who was that girl? What is she to you? How do you know her? Why is she banged up like that? What...." Yahiko was cut off by a hand on his head. He turned to see Aoshi standing over him.  
  
"That's enough Yahiko. Please go to the gardens and ensure that Kamiya-san and Hideki-san do not leave. Kyoto is a dangerous place for women it seems." Aoshi would have chopped off his own foot before telling the kid that he shouldn't be present for the conversation that was about to be held. Yahiko's tantrums were on par with Misao's. It was better to ensure Yahiko's ego was intact and send him off on an 'important' mission. Even if Kaoru was smart enough to stay inside  
  
"Uh...."  
  
"Please Yahiko. It's very important to me to know that Kaoru-dono and Sakura are being watched over by you." Kenshin said quietly. He hated to lie to Yahiko. But from the look in Aoshi's eyes, the conversation that was about to happen wasn't going to be one that a boy should hear.  
  
Hearing Kenshin's request was enough. Without a word, Yahiko was out the door, following Kaoru and Sakura.  
  
"Everyone," Aoshi said, turning to the Oniwabanshu, "Please ensure that the rooms are prepared for company, and return to your duties. This is still a business and we have customers to attend to."  
  
Not ones to disobey their leader, each member of the elite group of ninjas filed out of the room, leaving just the four men.  
  
"Now, Rumiko-sensai. Allow me to introduce you to Himura Kenshin." Aoshi said, taking his seat beside the former manslayer, facing the old doctor and Okina. "Himura, this is Rumiko Ginji-sensai, a former doctor and trusted friend of the Oniwabanshu."  
  
"You are the Battousai." Ginji said simply. Now that his initial shock over the manslayers appearance was worn off, it was best to get the whole thing out of the way and confirm his suspicions.  
  
"This unworthy one was known as the hitokiri Battousai many years ago, yes." Kenshin replied. There was no sense in denying it. Especially in Kyoto where everyone had heard of the red-head with a cross scar on his left cheek.  
  
"I thought so."  
  
"Himura-kun. How do you know that girl?" Okina asked, getting straight to the point. There was no sense in delaying it any longer. The question needed to be asked.  
  
"That is a story for another time." Kenshin replied. "The most important matter is the whereabouts of Misao-dono and the Shinsengumi. Have there been any new discoveries made yet?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. Whoever these men are, they are quite good at covering their tracks." Okina replied. Kenshin wasn't surprised. At the beginning of the revolution, Shinsengumi were shadow assassins. Their identities and their actions were well covered by all the members. However over time some members came to be well known; Saito Hajime and Okita Souji to name a couple, just as the same had happened with Kenshin.  
  
Down in the garden, Kaoru watched Sakura as she bent down and place her fingertips in the cool water of the small pond. The look of serene peace on the woman's face made her all the more beautiful in Kaoru's eyes. Kaoru couldn't see the bandage that covered the gash on her forehead either.  
  
A small breeze stirred Sakura's hair, sending it blowing gently over her shoulder. Kaoru felt grossly inadequate while looking at the beautiful woman before her. Even if Megumi had been picturesque in her beauty, Kaoru never felt inferior to her, she knew Kenshin was never interested in the fox-doctor. But this new woman, Sakura, was different. The way Kenshin looked at her made Kaoru's heart ache, even recalling the memory of it hurt.  
  
But at the same time, for all her beauty, there was something odd about how she carried herself. She was unsure of her footing as the two women made their way downstairs. She appeared to be constricted in the kimono as she walked down the hall. Even when she bent down to put her fingers in the pond, she seemed awkward in her movements.  
  
Sakura was a mystery to Kaoru.  
  
Yahiko entered the garden to see Sakura knelt by the pond and Kaoru standing not too far from her, staring at the woman.  
  
"Don't stare at her Kaoru, she'll think you're crazy." Yahiko whispered to his instructor. Kaoru jumped, startled at Yahiko's appearance.  
  
"Yahiko! Don't scare me like that! I wasn't staring!" Kaoru exclaimed, trying to cover up the fact that she was indeed staring. Yahiko merely gave Kaoru a doubting look.  
  
"Yeah, right."  
  
Silence fell between the three people in the garden. Without even noticing, Yahiko and Kaoru stared at the woman before them, wondering exactly who she was.  
  
Sakura felt both pairs of eyes watching her. She had known in a heartbeat that Kaoru was in love with the red-haired man, and for some odd reason, she knew the feelings were reciprocated. But the way that he acted towards her made Sakura wonder if they were actually a couple.  
  
Of course, now that both people were staring at her, Sakura started to feel a little awkward. Was she that strange to look at? Were her injuries worse than she thought? Or was it that they were wondering who she was as much as she herself?  
  
"You know, having the two of you stare at me isn't going to help me remember who I am." Sakura stated simply, standing up and turning to the pair.  
  
They both froze.  
  
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to stare! It's just that...." Kaoru's voice faded. She didn't know how to end the statement. Why was she really staring? Was she checking to see if Sakura was competition? Or perhaps she was trying to piece together the mystery of Kenshin's relationship with the woman?  
  
"It's just that....." Kaoru tried again.  
  
"Who are you? What are you to Kenshin? Why did you scream? How do you know Kenshin?" Yahiko demanded. He wasn't one for being polite, or for beating around the bush. Yahiko was 11, he got straight to the point.  
  
Sakura blinked at the hostility in the boy's voice. He glared at her through eyes that were so innocent, Sakura felt a pang of remorse shoot through her. She clutched her heart which suddenly gave her such pain. Why? Why did she feel sorry as she stared at the child before her?  
  
She felt as if a huge weight descended upon her chest, making it difficult to breath. Weak and disorientated, Sakura sank to her knees, still clutching her chest and breathing heavily and unevenly.  
  
"Yahiko, you idiot!" Kaoru cried, giving the kid a swift knock to the head. Her heart leapt into her throat when she watched Sakura, pale-faced, sink to her knees while clutching her chest. Kaoru ran over to help the woman before she ended up on the ground. "Go get help!" she ordered the young samurai.  
  
Yahiko didn't hesitate as he turned on his heel and raced back into the Aoiya. He went directly to the only man he ever went to for help.  
  
Kenshin sat silently in the sitting room, half listening to the plans being made by Aoshi and Okina. He had decided to visit his master the following day. Hiko Seijiro was always a good source of information when the Oniwabanshu were not. He knew he could turn to his master for help when he needed it.  
  
"I assume that Sakura was a victim of the kidnappings. Perhaps she was in the clearing when the explosion occurred. Maybe she can help." Okina mused. Hearing Sakura's name snapped Kenshin out of his thoughts in time to look up and see Ginji-sensai shake his head.  
  
"She has no memories. And from the episode she had earlier, I'd say she's having a hard time remembering. I don't think she would be much help. Besides, often enough many people want to forget traumatic events, perhaps Sakura is unconsciously trying to forget the incidents that lead her to be the way she is now." Ginji said. He was hypothesizing, but it was all he could do at the moment.  
  
"What do you mean, the way she is now?" Aoshi asked. Ginji looked up at the ninja.  
  
"Well, when I cleaned her wounds, I noticed she had a lot of scars all over her body. Perhaps she had a traumatic experience when she was younger. Maybe she was beaten by her father, or another man.... or men." Ginji replied. A surge of protective anger swept through Kenshin.  
  
"I don't like what you're implying. She isn't a whore, and she never was." Kenshin said firmly. All eyes fell upon Kenshin.  
  
"Then what was she?" Aoshi asked. Judging from Kenshin's evasiveness anytime he was asked about Sakura, Aoshi knew he wouldn't get a response.  
  
Kenshin kept his mouth shut. He wasn't about to tell the three men before him who Sakura really was. He made a promise to never reveal that secret from the revolution.  
  
"She was not a whore." he repeated with a finality that stuck. Aoshi knew the discussion was over.... for now.  
  
"Kenshin!" Yahiko's voice called. A second later, the shouji door was thrown open to reveal a heavily breathing Yahiko. Kenshin's first thought was that Kaoru was in trouble. His sword was in his fist and he was on his feet in a heartbeat. "Sakura's collapsed in the garden!"  
  
Kenshin felt a small sense of relief that Kaoru was okay. But a new panic erupted in his chest as he, Aoshi, Okina, and Ginji raced out of the room and down the stairs.  
  
The four men entered the garden to find Sakura on her knees, breathing heavily, with Kaoru holding her for support. Images flew threw Sakura's mind once again. More blood, more death, more pain. No matter what, all the images that ever played through her head were painful and too horrible to comprehend. Had she actually seen all those horrible images? Or worse, had she actually caused all of those horrible images?  
  
The innocence in Yahiko's eyes had stirred a distant memory of another child. A girl; young and innocent, with dead eyes and a throat that had been slit open. Sakura could feel the blood on her hands; she could smell it in the air.  
  
Okina and Ginji immediately went to help Kaoru with the woman. Kenshin stopped dead in his tracks, furthest from his sister. His appearance only upset her. Aoshi and Yahiko remained a few steps in front of Kenshin, but a few steps away from Sakura.  
  
Sakura felt hands supporting her, soft gentle hands. Pure hands that shouldn't touch someone as soiled as Sakura.  
  
With a great amount of effort, Sakura shoved Kaoru away from her.  
  
"NO! You'll get it all over you!" she cried. Kaoru fell to the ground in a heap and Okina was at her side in a second. Sakura stood, viciously scrubbing her hands in her kimono. Ginji reached out to touch her but the clouded anguished look in Sakura's eyes stopped him dead. He had never seen such torture in a person.  
  
Aoshi watched with avid interest. He could feel the hurt and pain emanating from Sakura's small form. He knew Kenshin was suffering because he couldn't do anything to help. And he could smell blood. Old blood. Just like the sword he had retrieved in the clearing days before hand.  
  
"It won't come off!" Sakura cried, rubbing her hands and stumbling away from Kaoru, Okina and Ginji. She was hell bent on getting to the bath and trying to clean the blood from her hands. She could feel it, cold and sticky. It was on her clothes, in her hair, on her hands.  
  
Her vision clouded and grew darker as she shoved past Aoshi and Yahiko. She needed to escape! She had to get out! She had to get the blood off her body!  
  
More images, more blood, more lifeless bodies. The weight of the blood she felt on her body became unbearable. Her vision grew darker.  
  
Kenshin remained rooted in place and watched his struggling sister come towards him. He was not going to move one inch.  
  
Sakura felt rather than saw. A familiar feeling washed over her and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her blue eyes met with Kenshin's amethyst. She saw the same picture she had earlier. Amber eyes, high ponytail, blood.  
  
"It won't come off, Kenshin." she whispered.  
  
Kenshin stared at her clouded eyes. He knew she was having more flashbacks to her horrible life of when she was a manslayer. And if her earlier episode was any indication, the second her eyes lost the cloudy look, she would unconsciously suppress all her horrible memories and forget him again.  
  
Very slowly, so he wouldn't startle her and cause her to flee from him again, Kenshin reached out and grasped her shaking hands. He knew exactly what she was feeling. The blood wouldn't come off for him either.  
  
"It never will, Sakura." he replied.  
  
The words had barely escaped his lips when Sakura went limp in a faint.  
  
Nobody moved as they watched exchange. There was something far deeper between the pair than originally thought. She was someone far more important to Kenshin than a former lover.  
  
Kaoru knew as she looked at the sadness in her rurouni's eyes. Sakura held a piece of his heart that Kaoru would never have. And that thought hurt more than any physical injury she had ever endured.  
  
______________________________  
  
A.N. Well, it's been too long a wait but I finally managed to get this chapter finished. Honestly I've been picking at it for the last couple of months, trying to figure out where to go. I knew how to start it, I know how to end it, and I know what I want to put in the middle, but connecting all three of those things is proving to be difficult.  
  
Plus that and being in school tends to eat up my time.  
  
So anyways, there's the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for the next exciting installment! :D 


	5. The Past Returns ch4

Disclaimer: R.K. isn't mine, although I really wish it was. I merely borrowed the characters for my story.  
  
A.N. Well, here's chapter 4 (or 5, whatever you feel is right). I know it's been a really long time since I updated but it's very hard to write this story. I need to get to the meat of it (the good stuff) and then I'll get into a groove. So here's hoping the next chapter will flow easier.  
  
R&R please!  
  
Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4  
  
Misao sat alone in the room that was her prison staring at the wall, slowly losing her mind. She was in her third day of captivity and had done absolutely nothing since Kyosuke had spoken to her the previous day.  
  
Her initial shock and horror at the true reason behind the kidnappings had worn off, and for the first time in her life, she felt powerless. There was nothing she could do to save herself. She just had to sit tight and wait to be rescued.  
  
But then her mind would second guess her existence. Would anyone come for her? Did anyone even notice she was missing? She had become a pain in the butt for everyone back at the Aoiya. She constantly ran head first into dangerous situations that required a rescue of some sort. The only time she ever did anything right was when she was with a large group, and even then Aoshi had to help her with her sight of the underwater bombs.  
  
She was useless. She only managed to get herself into trouble. She never did any good for anyone.  
  
Aoshi. Did he even notice she was missing? Or was he thankful that she had disappeared and stopped tormenting him?  
  
Misao didn't notice when the tears started to fall again, but soon they were uncontrollable. She was going to be sold, and no one would even miss her.  
  
The door slid open and Misao didn't bother to turn around. It was around breakfast, so her food was probably being delivered. She had no true concept of time anymore. There was no time-telling device around her, and no windows, so she couldn't see the sun. But she felt that it was morning.  
  
"Here, have some company Makimachi-san." Kyosuke's voice called. A soft thump reached Misao's ears and she turned around quickly to find a young girl bound and gagged on the floor. Kyosuke smirked at Misao's tear-streaked face and slid the door shut again.  
  
Misao hurried over to the girl and immediately untied her. The poor girl was knocked out cold, and a nasty lump had formed on her head. Misao ran over to the basin of water and took one of the few cloths next to it. She wet it, brought it back to the girl and placed it gently over the lump.  
  
The girl was no older than 13, maybe 14. She had short raven hair and wore a simple brown kimono. She was very pretty too.  
  
Misao's bout of self pity passed quickly and left her feeling very angry. She was angry at the samurai who had kidnapped her. She was angry at herself for allowing her fraction of self doubt to get a hold of her and engulf her in a depression. She was mad at the Oniwanbanshu for not finding her.  
  
And she was mad that Aoshi hadn't noticed her kimono!  
  
She was going to escape, even if it were the last thing she did. And she was going to make sure that this new girl would escape with her.  
  
-------------------------  
  
Aoshi arrived back at the Aoiya, entering through the rear entrance and quietly made his way up stairs. As he approached his room he happened to glance out the window down at the street below only to see a familiar head of red hair.  
  
Staring out the window of the upper floor of the Aoiya, Aoshi watched Kenshin make his way through the crowded streets of Kyoto. Not a single head turned to stare at the red head as he weaved through the bustling people. Without his own knowledge, Kenshin had slipped into his former demeanor as hitokiri and moved through crowds without being noticed.  
  
Oniwabanshu's leader watched Kenshin until he was out of sight. Aoshi knew that his ally was heading into the mountains to seek help and advice from his master.  
  
The girl, Sakura, was still weighing heavily on Aoshi's mind though. Through much meditation Aoshi still had nothing to show for it. He had attempted to find some sort of link between the manslayer and the quiet woman, but found none. Something in the way Kenshin looked at Sakura, and the way he acted towards her lead Aoshi to believe that she was not a former lover. But there was still something special about her to Kenshin.  
  
Aoshi turned to see Shirojo walking towards him carrying a tray of tea for his leader.  
  
"Aoshi-sama, would you like tea in your room today?" Shirojo asked as he approached the man.  
  
"Shirojo, I want you to find out everything you possibly can about Hitokiri Battousai. From the moment he entered the Ishinshishi to the day he left. Find out who his allies were, his enemies, who he protected, who he killed, everything." Aoshi stated. Shirojo nodded, no questions asked.  
  
"And I want it by dusk."  
  
------------------------------------------  
  
Kenshin walked through the forest, quietly reflecting on the happenings of the previous day as he made his way to Hiko's cabin in the woods.  
  
After Sakura had fainted in his arms, Ginji had taken her back to his home. He enlisted the help of Aoshi to carry her and left immediately. Kenshin knew that Ginji had removed Sakura from the Aoiya simply because he was there. He also knew the look Ginji had thrown him before departing.  
  
Kenshin was to stay away from Sakura.  
  
Upon his return, Aoshi had retired to his room immediately, and didn't come out at all for the rest of the evening. By the time Kenshin woke up at dawn, Aoshi was already gone.  
  
Feeling useless and powerless, Kenshin had helped with the chores around the Aoiya for the morning. Even the most mundane task allowed him to think about what he would say to his Shisho. Facing Hiko Seijiro wasn't always a pleasant experience for Kenshin. In fact, Hiko enjoyed treating Kenshin as a wayward child and had often reduced the 29 year old man to thinking he WAS a wayward child.  
  
Even still, with Sakura in her current condition, and no leads from the Oniwabanshu ninjas, Kenshin had one avenue left to check, and that was Hiko Seijiro.  
  
It had been a year since he last saw his master and he'd bet his sword that the man hadn't changed a bit. He was insufferable, loud, obnoxious, and the closest thing Kenshin had to a father. Hiko was someone who Kenshin could turn to in time of need. And even if Hiko sounded like he didn't care, Kenshin knew he did.  
  
The sound of leaves rustling in the wind caused Kenshin to freeze in his tracks. He was close to Hiko's home now. But there was heaviness in the air that caused him to pause.  
  
"You're slower to notice a presence about you, baka-deshi." Hiko's voice rumbled from the forest. Kenshin turned to the point of origin and watched as Hiko emerged from between some trees. "If you get too careless, someone could sneak up and kill you from behind."  
  
"I didn't know you cared." Kenshin replied, watching Hiko as he passed his former student and proceeded towards his home.  
  
"I don't, but if someone found out that the heir to the style of Hiten Mitsurugi swordsmanship was killed from behind, I'd be a laughing stock."  
  
Kenshin rolled his eyes and fought the temptation to stick his tongue out at his Shisho's back.  
  
"Nice to know you care." Kenshin repeated, following Hiko to his small hut.  
  
The small clearing that Hiko lived in hadn't changed a bit. The fire pit used to cook the pottery Hiko made was still roaring and Kenshin could see a few cups within it. There was a small fire set in the middle of a circle of rocks with a few logs placed strategically around the fire, posing as benches, and Hiko's humble hut stood off to the side.  
  
Hiko flopped down on one of the logs before the fire pit and watched the cups dry in the hot flame. Kenshin came up behind him and took the empty place next to his master. The two men sat in silence for a few minutes, staring into the fire.  
  
After several minutes, Hiko removed the cups and placed them in the open air to cool. He then grabbed the tankard of sake he always carried with him and took a large swig of the alcohol. He sighed and broke the silence.  
  
"What brings you here this time, baka-deshi?"  
  
"I'm looking for information." Hiko turned and looked at Kenshin's profile.  
  
"Information? Do I look like a scholar to you?" Hiko retorted. Kenshin turned and locked eyes with Hiko.  
  
"Hardly, Shisho. But maybe you've heard things that others wouldn't have." Kenshin replied. Hiko stared at his idiotic student for a moment. There was something different in the usually masked eyes of Kenshin. Something or someone had affected him in some way recently.  
  
"Where's your woman?" Hiko asked, turning from Kenshin and deliberately changing the subject. He would answer any questions Kenshin may have, but first he was going to get to the bottom of the strange glimmer in the amethyst eyes.  
  
Kenshin sighed, knowing that his visit was going to be a long one, or at least it was going to feel like it was a long one. He turned his face back to the flame and answered without thinking.  
  
"Kaoru is back at the Aoiya. I felt it best that she stay there where it is safe." The second Kenshin finished uttering the words he immediately berated himself. Kaoru wasn't his woman! Damn Shisho!  
  
Hiko laughed at Kenshin.  
  
"Try and deny it all you want, baka-deshi. But you've staked your claim on that girl long ago." Hiko smirked. Kenshin glared at his Shisho but chose not to argue with him. Hiko was a stubborn man.  
  
And he was right.  
  
Hiko recognized the tone of Kenshin's voice and knew his troubles didn't concern Kaoru. But there was still something nagging at his stupid apprentice.  
  
"So what's bothering you then?" Hiko asked, getting straight to the point. He was 45, he had no more time for playing 20 questions with Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin's breath hitched for a moment. He knew Hiko was observant, but he hadn't known his former master was THAT observant.  
  
"Give me some credit, Kenshin. I have known you for the better part of your life." Hiko retorted, taking another mouthful of sake. "Of course it was better because I was in it."  
  
Kenshin winced at the remark. Worse thing about it was that Hiko felt it was the truth.  
  
"It's nothing, shisho." Kenshin replied.  
  
"Like hell. It's something, baka-deshi and I'm not helping you until you tell me."  
  
Kenshin glanced over at Hiko at that remark. It was highly unusual for Hiko to be that interested in what went on in Kenshin's life.  
  
"It involves another woman, doesn't it?" Hiko said quietly. Kenshin's eyes widened slightly as he stared at the 13th successor of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu. "Is it something about her?"  
  
Tomoe.  
  
"No, it has nothing to do with her." Kenshin replied. He pictured Sakura in his mind. What she was like the previous day, and what she was like 11 years beforehand. Opposite ends of the spectrum. One a fragile flower, weak and in need of protecting, and the other a strong-willed manslayer drenched in the blood of hundreds of men.  
  
"Then who?"  
  
Kenshin remembered the promise he made so very long ago. A promise to the strong-willed Sakura.  
  
"I made a promise shisho. I never break my word." Kenshin replied with a finality that was rare to be heard when he addressed his master. Hiko glanced at Kenshin from the corner of his eye, his sake tankard resting at his lips. He took another long drink and set the empty pottery down by his feet.  
  
He understood Kenshin's firmness and unwillingness to discuss the matter any further. That had been one lesson he had engrained in the boy the most. A promise was never to be broken.  
  
"Alright, alright. You made your point. What do you want?" Hiko sighed and stood up.  
  
"Misao-dono is missing."  
  
"Weasel girl? What, did she get pissed at Shinomori and run away?" Hiko retorted. Kenshin winced slightly. There was a momentary pause which had Hiko turning back to look at Kenshin who was slightly hunched over, and avoiding eye contact.  
  
With that, Hiko burst into laughter.  
  
"Shisho! This isn't a laughing matter!" Kenshin exclaimed.  
  
"Like hell it isn't! That stupid weasel girl probably got lost in the woods during her bout of anger and self-pity. Women are stupid like that, Kenshin." Hiko replied, still laughing.  
  
"Misao-dono wouldn't get lost in the woods, shisho." Kenshin replied.  
  
"Sure she would, she's a woman, and women get lost all the time. Just send out that ninja team of hers and they'll find her." Hiko said, his laughter dying and his patience growing thin. That little weasel was missing because she threw a hissy fit at her cold fish of a boyfriend; he had no patience for uselessness.  
  
Nor did he have the patience for childish acts made by young girls.  
  
"She was kidnapped, Shisho. Witnesses saw it happen."  
  
"Aw hell. Kidnapped? Who would kidnap that weasel?" Hiko asked, wishing he hadn't finished off that tankard of sake.  
  
"Shinsengumi."  
  
Hiko fell silent at that. The only sounds were the rustling leaves, and the crackling fire. Hiko was one of the few swordsmen who didn't involve himself in the revolution that occurred a decade ago. He had no opinion on what went on in Japan. He simply existed to help those who needed help whenever he would come across them in his travels.  
  
So hearing Shinsengumi really didn't matter to him.  
  
However, he knew it mattered to Kenshin greatly. While the Shinsengumi were an honorable group of samurai, there was always tension in Kenshin whenever they were mentioned. Something in the revolution had caused that tension.  
  
There was a great deal of things that Hiko knew nothing about when it came to Kenshin's life. Some of the exact circumstances and events that occurred during the four years Kenshin was a member of the Ishinshishi was the majority of those things.  
  
"Alright, fine. Give me three days to find something. But this is it! This is the last time I do anything to help you, understood? You stopped being my student a year ago, so grow up already!" Hiko fumed. He got to his feet and stalked over to his hut.  
  
"Thank you, shisho." Kenshin said, standing up and bowing at Hiko's back. Hiko merely waved Kenshin off and entered his hut.  
  
Damnit, tracking Shinsengumi wasn't what Hiko has planned to do for the next three days. He was a nameless potter! That baka-deshi of his always showed up and destroyed his peace.  
  
But as much as Hiko would grumble, he would do anything for his boy....  
  
-------------------------------------------  
  
"Sakura-san!" a young voice called. Sakura and Ginji both turned around to see Kaoru and Yahiko waving at them. They stood in the middle of the busy market street, each pair purchasing wares for their homes. "Rumiko-sensai, it's nice to see you again in such a short time" Kaoru said as she and Yahiko came to stand beside the other two.  
  
Ginji was immediately wary and glanced around the young girl to look for the manslayer. At all costs he would keep Sakura away from him. He was a bad influence and caused her too much distress.  
  
Yahiko's sharp eyes picked up the scan done by the retired doctor and shoved his pinky in his ear perfectly attaining his bratty child look.  
  
"Kenshin's not her, old man." Yahiko remarked casually. Ginji flushed slightly at being caught and turned back to Kaoru.  
  
"We needed some things and I didn't want to leave Sakura alone." Ginji replied, smiling at Kaoru and Yahiko. Sakura remained slightly behind the man, almost as if she was shying away from Kaoru and Yahiko.  
  
She was indeed keeping her distance. She still had that unclean feeling that had consumed her entire being the previous day and standing near the three innocents, as she began to think of them, only made her feel worse. She barely paid attention to the conversation being held around her. For the most part, Sakura escaped into her head in a vain attempt to remember something from her past.... ANYTHING.  
  
From across the street, unnoticed by everybody, two men stood in shadows surveying the people milling about.  
  
"I think we've found quite a few choices today. Tell the men, round them up tonight..." Kyosuke ordered his subordinate. The man nodded once and disappeared.  
  
Kyosuke smiled at the two young women conversing with the kid and the geezer. They would certainly make a fine profit.

* * *

A.N. Well, here's the next chapter, thanks to those of you who read it! I know it's been a long long long long long long long LONG time since I updated and I'm so so so so so so so so so SO SORRY! I make no excuse. It was me being a horrid procrastinator. Please forgive me!!!!!  
  
Anyways, I said it before and I'll say it again, I am having one hell of a time trying to write this story. I need to get to the meat of it all and then I'll find a nice groove to work in. So again, thanks to all you readers out there and I'll see you again!!  
  
Sakura


	6. The Past Returns ch5

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine, I merely borrowed the characters for my tale.

A.N. Well I've finally managed to hack out a next chapter. The story is starting to move along a little easier in my mind and I guess that's a good thing. Although I can't guarantee fast updates as per usual. One big reason is that I'm in my final semester at university so I'm really concentrating on that. I'm graduating! YAY!!

Anyways, here's the next installment, R&R please!

Enjoy!

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It was dusk by the time Kenshin returned to the Aoiya. He had taken the longer path from Hiko's home back to Kyoto in hopes of giving himself some time to think. Misao had been missing for several days now and there were still no leads. The Oniwabanshu had no information; no witnesses had come forward, nothing. It was as if it was the Bakumatsu had begun again and Shinsengumi were avoiding the daylight at all costs.

Of course a group of samurai wearing blue haori's and carrying katana's would stand out quite nicely on the streets of Kyoto. To be true Shinsengumi, they were hiding themselves amidst the people and that was the most frightening thought to Kenshin. How many of them were involved in this new squad? Were they as strong as the original? Did they have some sort of grudge against women?

That single thought stopped him dead in his tracks. Could they know about what really happened to Shinsengumi squad 7?

Kenshin could recall the details of that night as if it had happened only the previous day. The screams from Sakura, the smell of blood soaking his clothes, the colour of the dirt which was coated in blood, the demonic red eyes of a bloodthirsty Sakura as she licked the blade of her soiled sword.

Shaking his head, Kenshin attempted to rid himself of those memories. The fact that Sakura couldn't even remember that evening was about the only good thing resulting from her memory loss.

"Never mind the past Kenshin, you need to concentrate on getting Misao-dono back." He mumbled to himself as he started on his way again.

Kaoru was attempting to keep herself busy by sweeping the front entrance of the Aoiya. Truth was that she was merely awaiting Kenshin's return. He had left so early in the morning and had been gone all day. She couldn't help but worry about him. Just the last year with the Shishio and Enishi battles, let alone a random bad guy arriving to make their lives miserable, had been hard to deal with. She was in a perpetual state of worry when it came to that baka rurouni.

Now especially when a squad of Shinsengumi was apparently involved, she couldn't help but worry even more.

Kenshin wasn't the only one who held apprehension about Kyoto. Kaoru herself disliked the place as much as Kenshin did. For her it was merely a reminder of Kenshin's past; the trouble, the pain, and the constant bloodshed that surrounded him as he fought for his life and his country day in and day out for years.

Just being in Kyoto brought horrible visions of the war to Kaoru's mind. What had it been like? Was there a constant air of fear in the city? Would the streets be as full of people back then as there were right now before her eyes?

Could Kenshin have killed someone ten years ago on the very spot she was standing? Was there ever a time during the war that the cold, cruel, amber eyes of the Battousai were replaced by the kind, amethyst eyes of Kenshin?

Had there been any moments of peace for the manslayer? Did he smile at all during those 4 years of war? What was he feeling whenever he walked down the street of Kyoto? Was he thinking of Tomoe? Was Kenshin thinking of the men he had killed as he passed the places where he had spilled their blood?

No, Kyoto wasn't a place that was dreaded by just Kenshin. Kaoru felt the same way, just because of her large amount of unanswered questions, and her worry for Kenshin and his own feelings on the place.

Completely lost in her own thoughts, she didn't hear the tell-tale foot falls of Kenshin as he returned to the Aoiya. Kenshin had spotted her through the crowd and a small smile crept across his face when he saw her.

She had stopped in her sweeping and a worried expression graced her face. She was chewing on her lower lip in thought. She was a welcome sight for Kenshin, especially since he had spent the better part of the day with Hiko, who wasn't exactly Kenshin's idea of a thing of beauty.

"Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said. Kaoru started and turned to him with a surprised expression on her face.

"Kenshin! You startled me!"

"My apologies, why are you sweeping out here?" he asked innocently. He didn't really need to ask since he knew exactly why. She was worried about him, and was waiting his return.

"I needed to keep myself busy. I was worried about you." she replied simply. She wasn't going to make up something when she knew very well that he would know she was worried. Kenshin smiled at her honesty.

"You do not need to worry Kaoru-dono. This unworthy one is quite alright. More importantly, is there any more news on Misao?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru shook her head in response.

"No. Aoshi has the Owniwabanshu working on gathering information, but that's all I know. Did you have any luck at Hiko-san's?" she asked.

"Excuse me." A third, quiet voice interrupted. Kaoru's question fled from Kenshin's mind as he recognized the voice, and the presence. Both he and Kaoru turned their heads and their eyes landed on Sakura who stood not 3 feet away, and she was alone.

"Sakura-san! Welcome. How are you?" Kaoru asked. Feeling slightly apprehensive about Sakura and Kenshin being together after what had happened yesterday, Kaoru was quick to start the conversation.

"I'm fine, thank you, Kaoru-san." Sakura replied.

Kenshin stood silent for a moment, taking in Sakura as she stood before him. She was wearing a different kimono. It looked new. The pale green fabric was wrapped around her small body and the poorly tied yellow obi kept it closed. Sakura's callused hands were playing with the strings of her obi as she spoke softly with Kaoru.

No one would ever guess the power that small form possessed, and the bloodshed she had caused so many years ago.

"Where is Ginji-sensei?" Kaoru's question snapped Kenshin back to the conversation before him since it was the answer he had been seeking himself.

"He is back at his home. I told him I needed some time to myself, but actually I wanted to see you, Himura...... san." Sakura replied as she moved her gaze from Kaoru to Kenshin. Neither Kenshin nor Kaoru missed the hesitation on Sakura's part as she added the honorific to Kenshin's name.

Kaoru's heart dropped when she heard that response. She had been waiting for it, but even when it was said she knew she was now the third wheel. She still wasn't sure what Sakura's past relationship with Kenshin was, but she did know that Sakura was very important to him.

Heart-breakingly important.

"How may this unworthy one help you, Sakura.... dono." Kenshin added hastily.

Hearing the honorific at the end of her name sounded strange coming from the red-head before her. Sakura had to stop herself from telling him to call her like he normally would. Especially since she didn't even know if she knew him or not. Her heart told her she did, but she was afraid to admit it for some reason.

Sakura did want Kenshin's help, and she knew that Ginji-sensei would be extremely upset if he knew that she had sought his help. He was trying to protect her as best he could, and to him Kenshin was a threat to Sakura so he was going to keep her away from the manslayer.

But Sakura knew deep in her heart that Kenshin was the key to her missing memories. For some odd reason he was the one thing on her mind all day. She had more questions floating around in her thoughts than she knew what to do with, and she felt that Kenshin would be able to answer some of them, if not all. But she wanted to speak in private.

"I'd like to speak with you, alone." Sakura said, bowing her head and avoiding eye contact with Kaoru. Kaoru took the hint quickly. Her grip on the broom handle increased tenfold as the bottom dropped out of her stomach. Why was she so fearful of Kenshin and Sakura speaking alone?

"Certainly, shall we speak inside?" Kenshin asked, gesturing at the Aoiya entrance. Sakura shook her head and stepped back from the door.

"No. Out here is fine. Please." Her pleading voice hurt Kenshin. Sakura, his sister, was afraid. Kenshin looked at the shell of a person before him, wishing the terrible accident that had stolen her memories, had not occurred at all, whatever that was. Kenshin nodded slightly and turned his eyes back to Kaoru.

"Kaoru-dono." He said. Kaoru saw the request in his eyes and nodded stiffly. She slid the door opened and shut it behind her, giving Kenshin and Sakura their privacy from her. Leaving the broom propped against the doorjamb, Kaoru fled the vicinity, putting as much distance between herself and the newly reunited couple on the other side of the door.

Once Kaoru's footsteps faded as she moved further into the building, Sakura found she was completely alone on a darkening street with Kenshin. Looking around herself, Sakura noticed lanterns being lit in the homes and businesses surrounding them. The crowded streets had suddenly emptied leaving only the two of them standing there.

Kenshin noticed the silence around them as well. They were in fact alone on the usually crowded street, which was a surprise for them both. Kenshin glanced around at the burning lights, and at the darkening sky as the sun continued to set.

It was while Kenshin's face was turned away that Sakura looked back at him. The darkness cast shadows on his face, and for a brief moment, Sakura saw a vision of Kenshin covered in the shadows of the night, his hair pulled off his face, and his sword unsheathed. She blurted out the first question that came to her mind.

"Why do I smell like you?"

Completely taken by surprise at the question, Kenshin's eyes snapped back to Sakura.

"Like me?" he asked knowing exactly what she meant by the question.

"Like.... blood." She whispered. Without even realizing it, Sakura had summed up every unanswered question she had floating around in her mind.

Kenshin took a deep breath suddenly feeling apprehensive about telling her the truth. As much as he wanted his sister back in his life, her entire past was a horrible memory to have so telling her could end up being the wrong thing to do. But she had asked, and she had a right to know the truth.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked, giving her the opportunity to back out.

Feeling the tension in the air, Sakura knew that the truth would be told by Kenshin, and it wasn't going to be good. She nodded in assurance.

"Fifteen years ago, I volunteered my services as a swordsman to the Ishinshishi. It was within their ranks, that I met you. You were the same age as I was at the time, all of 14 years, and we were both assigned the position of hitokiri for the Choshu faction here in Kyoto...." Kenshin started, unconsciously dropping the 'unworthy one'. He left nothing out. He told her everything he knew about her, every piece of information he knew, every moment they spent in each others company, every assignment they shared, every horror they encountered. Everything. He left nothing out.

Sakura watched Kenshin as he told her everything he knew. Her face went white, and silent tears rolled down her cheeks as each word he spoke drove a knife through her heart.

The truth was horrible. It couldn't have been true, could it?

"You're lying." Sakura whispered, stubbornly refusing to believe a word Kenshin had just said.

Kaoru paced impatiently in the back garden. She had left Kenshin and Sakura alone quite a while ago. The sun had set and darkness had fallen. Were they still out there? What were they saying? They wouldn't still be talking after this long, would they? Could he have come in and gone directly to his room?

Omasu, who had been passing by the garden carrying a tray of tea, paused to see Kaoru pacing.

"Kaoru-san!" Omasu called out. Kaoru stopped her pacing and faced the other woman. "Could you please take the matches and light the lanterns outside?"

Opportunity presents itself!

"Yes!" Kaoru called back. She fairly fled to the kitchen and snatched up the small box of matches. She now had a reasonable excuse to be out front and she would know if they were still talking or not.

Kaoru made a beeline to the front. Unable to tell if there were still people outside since it was dark, Kaoru put her hand on the latch and slid the door open.

"Why would I lie to you, Sakura? I love you! You're my – "Kenshin's exclamation was cut off when the door slid open beside the pair to reveal Kaoru in the door frame.

The sight before Kaoru brought her world to a screeching halt. Kenshin had his hands on Sakura's shoulders as if he had shaken her. There were tears streaming down Sakura's pale face, and Kenshin's words echoed in Kaoru's mind. The three words she had wanted to hear from Kenshin the most, and he had just said them to another woman.

Kaoru's heart shattered into pieces.

"I'm so sorry! I was coming out to light the lamps! I didn't think you would still be here! I'm so sorry!" Kaoru said breathlessly. Breathing had suddenly become excruciatingly difficult. Kaoru's shaky hands revealed the box of matches to the other two. Kenshin's hands dropped to his sides and Sakura stepped back. Of all the times Kaoru could have come out to light those lanterns, it had to be the exact moment when Kenshin was telling his sister he loved her.

The largest problem being that Kaoru didn't know Sakura was Kenshin's sister. Naturally, she thought he had confessed to his lover.

"I'm sorry!" Kaoru exclaimed again, forcing herself to blink back the tears that were forming in her eyes. She didn't hesitate when she fled from the scene, down the dark street. Kenshin turned to go after her but a firm grasp held him in place when Sakura grabbed the sleeve of his gi and pulled.

"I'll go." Sakura said. Her tears had stopped and now she found herself in a situation where she would have to repair the relationship between Kenshin, the man who claimed to be her brother, and Kaoru, a woman she barely knew. Even still, she felt that it was her responsibility to go after her.

"But, -"Kenshin started. Sakura's eyes narrowed and she tugged his sleeve again, preventing him from moving.

"I'll go!" she said firmly. She turned and ran down the street after Kaoru, leaving Kenshin in the door frame of the Aioya waiting for something else to go wrong.

It had been obvious from the start that Kenshin and Kaoru had some odd relationship on the go. Sakura could tell immediately that Kaoru loved the samurai with all her heart, but something was missing between the two. It was in the moment of silence between the three of them, after Kaoru heard the wrong words at the wrong time that everything became clear to Sakura regarding Kenshin and Kaoru.

Kenshin loved her, that was obvious, but his own opinion that he was unworthy of happiness was what stood in their way. Not only had that moment brought understanding to Sakura, but it brought anger that only a friend could feel. That idiot was letting something as great and wonderful as a future with Kaoru slip through his fingers because he had fought in a war 10 years before hand.

Sakura had to prevent herself from smacking the baka-rurouni in the head before she set off to find Kaoru in the darkness.

Her memories had still not returned, even after hearing all sorts of horrible things from Kenshin about her past. Her emotions were a jumbled mess and her thoughts were filled with visions of blood which now sort of made sense to her. Maybe everything Kenshin told her was the truth. What would he have to gain by lying to her?

The whole problem has started when Sakura could only deny everything Kenshin had told her. Hearing such horrible things about a past she didn't remember could only elicit a response such as that. Denial was her first defense. Calling him a liar was her second defense, and her first mistake.

Sakura cast all other thoughts aside as she chased after the heart broken girl. The need to clarify Kaoru's mistake and correct it was much more powerful than filling the void in her memories. It was almost like she was being driven by an instinct to make Kenshin happy and bring Kaoru back to him.

In no time at all, and on swift, silent feet, Sakura caught up to Kaoru.

"Kaoru-san, wait!" Sakura exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of Kaoru's wrist, stopping the girl in mid stride. Kaoru's first surprise was that Sakura had caught up so quickly, her second surprise was the strength behind Sakura's grasp. "Let me explain!"

"There's nothing to explain, Sakura-san. I'm sorry, please, let me go!" Kaoru cried, trying to wrench her hand free.

"No, listen to me! You don't understand!" Sakura tried again, keeping her grasp on Kaoru firm. It was in that moment that a cold shiver ran up her spine. Sakura's instincts flared from their dormant state and she whirled around, hauling Kaoru behind her and pressing her back against the wall, protecting her.

Kaoru felt the strength from the woman as she was yanked behind Sakura and pressed into a wall. Sakura's extra few inches in height weren't enough the block Kaoru's sight of Sakura's alarm.

A deep chuckle from the darkness caused Kaoru's hair to rise on the back of her neck. Sakura pressed Kaoru back even further, essentially placing her own body between Kaoru and the danger in the darkness.

It was when the man and his counterparts emerged from the shadows, and the moonlight illuminated the blue Haori's that Sakura's heart plummeted to her stomach and she broke out in a cold sweat. Her mouth filled with the coppery taste of adrenaline and blood from where she had bitten the inside of her lip, hard.

There were 8 Shinsengumi samurai surrounding them.

"Well, well, what a fortunate stroke of luck for us." One of the men said. "Two pretty birds in one swoop."

-----------------------------------------

A.N. Ahh, the end of the chapter! Okay, so now you know the story is moving along nicely. There's so much crap going on in this story it's hard for me to keep everything straight, and it's my story!! :P

I'm going to try and be good and write more often, but I make no promises. I'm lazy and very picky when I write. I've already deleted and rewritten this chapter too many times to count.

So thanks for sticking it out and reading this next installment! See you next chapter!


	7. The Past Returns ch6

Disclaimer: RK and all it's characters are not mine, I merely borrowed them for my story.

A.N.

WOW!! Talk about short turn around time!! I'm never this good. :D

Well here is the next installment of my story. I'm pounding it out faster now since I seem to be in the right mood all the time. For those of you reading my other story, I am working on it again too, so please be patient.

Anyways, R&R!

Enjoy!

* * *

Kaoru's breathing became shallow when it felt like a cold hand had closed around her throat. Panic was a new sensation for her, so when it gripped her soul she was disorientated. 

Shinsengumi. Those blue haori's were unmistakable. They were surrounded by Shinsengumi. The very men who were at the root of the problem Kenshin found himself in.

The blue clothed men before Sakura were achingly familiar. But the terror that flooded her being when she realized there were 8 of them and she was weaponless nearly caused her to faint. She wanted to scream. She actually swallowed the scream what was welling up in her throat. Someone would save them. At any moment someone would come along and the 8 men would run away.

Sakura backed up as far as she could go without causing Kaoru too much pain. Her fear at the men before her was great, but the urgency she felt to keep Kaoru away from them was greater.

"Well we should consider ourselves lucky men, only one stop to make in order to collect two enchanting specimens." the same man, obviously the leader of the other 7 men, said.

The voices, the sight of 8 men in blue haori's, the swords at each man's side, caused a memory to stir in the back of Sakura's mind. She knew them somehow. She had seen them recently.... but where?

Kaoru and Sakura found themselves trapped by the very men that they were told to be wary of. The panic subsided in Kaoru and was quickly replaced by anger. She was angry that she was being threatened. Most of all however, was that once again she was rapidly becoming more trouble for Kenshin than he needed. She was always in need of his rescue.

No! Not this time! Kaoru's mind screamed.

Kaoru reached for the nearest object she could use for a weapon which was bamboo, the only problem was it was a bamboo stalk fastened to the wall, acting as a support for it. Normally it would have been a problem, but the rage inside Kaoru at being caught in another situation where she was the damsel in distress was more than enough to get her adrenaline pumping.

She would protect herself using her father's swordsmanship!

A cry of rage was the only warning the other 9 occupants of the alley had before Kaoru ripped a piece of bamboo off the wall and shoved Sakura aside, stepping to the front to protect both herself, and the woman beside her. Sakura looked at Kaoru in surprise as the woman held a piece of bamboo like a sword.

The Shinsengumi men merely snickered in response to Kaoru's actions. Another female who would feebly attempt to protect herself, just like many of the others.

"Oh we're going to have such a feisty stock this time." the leader smirked. The word 'stock' made Sakura nervous. The leader inclined his head at one of the other men, who immediately followed the unspoken command and started for the two women.

When he was within range, Kaoru stepped forward, thrusting the bamboo into his gut. The pain caused him to double over, and Kaoru brought the bamboo down across the base of his neck causing him to black out.

The leader's eyes narrowed.

"I don't like it when one of my men gets injured by a girl." he sneered, drawing his blade.

"Then get better men." Kaoru retorted. With that she launched herself at the other 7 men.

Sakura watched in horror as the men separated, four of them surrounded Kaoru, while the other three started to stalk towards her. Kaoru defended herself quite well as she blocked most of the attacks made on her with the bamboo. Sakura, however, was frozen in fear when the cold, sharp tip of one katana pressed lightly against her throat. A voice screamed in Sakura's head to move; to do anything but stand there like she was doing.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut in hopes of blocking out what was happening. The voice in her head was getting louder, turning into a shout. It was Kaoru's cry of pain that snapped Sakura out of her daze. There was one final 'MOVE!' shouted in her mind and Sakura sprang into action, allowing reflexes and instinct to take over.

Kaoru cried out in pain when the flat of a katana blade hit her squarely in the wrists, causing a blinding pain to shoot up her arms and down her fingers. She dropped her bamboo in pain and felt the blade of a sword resting against her throat. She froze, her eyes meeting the brown eyes of the leader of the samurai group.

"MOVE!" Sakura cried out, unaware she had said anything at all.

Kaoru turned her gaze to Sakura when the shout echoed through the dark alley. She watched as the terrified woman grabbed the base of the katana threatening her, slicing her hand open on the blade. Giving the katana a hard shove, Sakura plowed the hilt into the shinsengumi's groin, he grunted in pain and fell to the ground, releasing the sword into Sakura's waiting hands.

Sakura flipped the sword, grabbed the hilt and turned to her second threat. Kaoru felt a pair of strong arms grab her and force her hands behind her back. She started to struggle again, while still trying to watch Sakura, only to have a hard blow impact the back of her head. Stars exploded before her eyes and her vision grew shadowy.

Sakura acted like a machine. She felt as if she were watching herself in another time as she brandished the katana in her bloody hands. The urge to kill started to claw its way into her body. The rage she felt welling up inside her was urging her to raise her sword and cut down the samurai.

With a roar, Sakura brought the sword around to attack another Shinsengumi. He blocked the blade, just barely having time to recover before a second blow caught him off guard. Sakura fought blindly, swinging the sword whichever way she could, drawing blood every time her blade nicked her opponent. The man brought his sword around, only to have her block it. Every man in that alley watched in silent awe as the slight woman fought with such grace and expertise. She held the sword as if it were an extension of her own body.

Spinning around, Sakura knelt down and grabbed hold of her opponent's katana sheath which was still tied to his waist. With one quick tug, the sheath came free. With a twist of her body, Sakura stepped out of sword reach and sheathed her katana, flipping the blade and allowing her hand to hover over the hilt.

She crouched in a battoujutsu position.

Kaoru watched Sakura through her darkening eyes. The moves, the actions, they all reminded her of Kenshin. The way he held his sword, the way he moved in battle. Everything pointed to him. The aching familiarity of heading for a blackout with someone battling to the death before her caused Kaoru to open her mouth and say the same thing she said before.

"Don't!" Kaoru whispered. But the plea fell on deaf ears. Every person on the scene watched in horror as the samurai charged, and in a lightning fast motion, Sakura unsheathed her blade.

Blood sprayed out of the wound and the victim collapsed.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Kaoru saw the entire thing unfold before her eyes just moments before her world went black.

The leader of the squad saw the blood pooling below the body of his comrade, he remained frozen as the girl he held in captivity slumped over, unconscious.

Sakura felt the sword pierce the soft flesh of a human body.

'No....'

The spray of blood from her victim stuck to her hair and face.

'No....'

She watched as the body crumpled to the ground at her feet.

'No.'

A hallow empty feeling swelled up inside her. She felt as if she had lost something extremely important to her. She felt like she had broken a long held promise.

"No." she whispered, repeating what was echoing in her mind.

She felt as if she had let someone down. The sword and sheath slipped from Sakura's hands and landed with a loud clatter on the ground. She looked down at the dead man before her, and then lifted her bloodied hands in front of her line of sight. Sakura opened her mouth and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

A Shinsengumi stepped forward and silenced her scream with a blow to the back of her head. Sakura collapsed to the ground.

"What should we do?" one voice asked.

"Take her, our leader will deal with her. Quickly, someone is bound to come after that scream." Another whispered. The seven remaining samurai grabbed the two girls and fled into the darkness.

They left their fallen comrade lying dead in his own blood in their haste.

-----------------

Aoshi sat in his room reading the documents Shirojo had left him. Everything about Himura Battousai that was known by anyone in Kyoto was written on the pages before him. Somewhere amidst those words had to be some clue to the mysterious woman who had entered their lives just a day beforehand.

"Aoshi." Okina's voice said from the other side of the shouji door.

"Come in."

Okina slid the door open at Aoshi's invite and was greeted with the sight of Aoshi sitting on the floor with a few sheets of paper spread before him. Okina was well aware of what the documents said, so he merely sat on the floor across from Aoshi and waited.

"There isn't much here on Battousai." Aoshi said as he put one paper back on the floor.

"There is probably more known about Himura Kenshin, than the Battousai. It was his job to be discrete after all." Okina replied. Aoshi nodded in agreement.

The men sat in silence in the dim room. Aoshi had only lit a single candle at dusk and it still burned beside him after darkness had fallen.

"Any news?" Aoshi asked, breaking the short silence. Okina's sigh was audible. He glanced up at the young man before him, knowing exactly what Aoshi was feeling. The loneliness that had fallen over the Aoiya since Misao went missing was unbearable.

"No. Nothing yet."

Aoshi nodded, turning his gaze out the window up at the dark sky. The first few stars were twinkling back at him.

"You miss her as much as I do, don't you?" Okina asked softly. He knew the answer, but he needed to hear it. He felt comforted when Aoshi revealed even the smallest amount of emotion. It helped reinforce the belief that Aoshi was starting to open up again after losing his comrades the previous year.

Aoshi's gaze slid back to Okina. The older man was staring at the floor that separated the two, his old eyes reflecting his sadness and loneliness for Misao. Feelings that Aoshi shared with the man, but never displayed them.

"Yes."

Okina met Aoshi's even gaze, and smiled.

Their moment was shattered by a scream from the night. It wasn't very close, but it was high pitched and frantic enough to call anyone's attention. A chill ran up the spines of both men sitting in the room, and Aoshi didn't hesitate as he grabbed his two short swords, and flung himself out the window of his room. With the agility and grace of a ninja, Aoshi landed softly on the street below and started to run towards to origin of the scream.

Just beyond Aoshi's eyes, ahead in the darkness, Kenshin ran flat out towards Sakura's terrified scream. Again, she screamed that horrid scream again, which could only mean another memory flashback, or she and Kaoru were in trouble.

At the thought of Kaoru being in trouble, Kenshin increased his pace, even though he was running as fast as he could.

As he traveled farther from the Aoiya, a familiar stench invaded his nose. He inhaled the fresh blood smell, and felt his body turn cold. Here he was, running in the dark streets of Kyoto, among the shadows once again, taking in the horrible smell of freshly spilled blood.

Following the smell, with dread building up in his heart, Kenshin rounded a corner, then another, only to find himself in a small alley. The sight that greeted him was the last thing he wanted to see, but the first thing he expected when he smelled blood.

Kenshin came to a dead stop in front of the body of a Shinsengumi samurai. His blue haori was dark with blood, his eyes were still open, and the ground surrounding his body was soaked with blood. On the ground nearby there lay a single katana and sheath.

Aoshi came upon the same scene, and halted beside Kenshin. He was sure that the scream originated from this alley. Years of training had helped him develop acute hearing. A glance at Kenshin told him the samurai was extremely upset.

Kenshin kept his head bent forward slightly, allowing his long bangs to shield his eyes from Aoshi's gaze. His eyes moved from the body of the man, to the sword and sheath, and back again. He felt Aoshi move away, and begin to investigate the scene. It wasn't very long before he spotted something.

"Himura." Aoshi stated. Kenshin turned from the body and looked at Aoshi. He saw the ribbon in the man's hands immediately. It was Kaoru's.

Kenshin no longer cared about the reason behind the Shinsengumi's death. All he cared about was Kaoru, and now she was gone. Kenshin took the ribbon from Aoshi, hating Kaoru's hair ribbon with ever passing moment. Each and every time she was taken from him, he was always left with one of her hair ribbons. Kenshin's hand tightened around the ribbon.

"Himura. This looks like your work." Aoshi said behind Kenshin. Turning in surprise, Kenshin saw Aoshi crouched beside the dead man, inspecting the wound.

"What?"

"This was a battoujutsu. I don't know of many other samurai who could do this aside from you and your master." Aoshi stated, indicating the wound, and the sword on the ground. At that moment everything fell into place for Kenshin.

Sakura.

Her scream, her kill.

"Shit." Kenshin swore under his breath.

-----------------------

Misao was nodding off, leaning against the wall beside the new girl. She had been left all day with nothing else to do but mop of the dried blood on the young girl's face and hair. A small moan brought her out of her doze and she immediately woke up to see the girl's eyes flutter open.

"Ah! You're finally awake. Can you sit up?" Misao asked softly. She got to her feet and fetched a small cup of water to give to the girl. When she returned, the girl had sat up, and her fingers were gently probing the lump on her head. "I'm Misao, what's your name?"

"Midori." was the soft response. Misao offered the water to Midori, who took it gratefully. She took a drink before putting the cup aside. "Who are you?"

"A prisoner, just like yourself." Misao replied. "Is your head alright? It looks like they gave you a nice smack there." Midori nodded, her fingers touching her head once again. Tears welled up in the young girls eyes as she felt the mark left over by her kidnappers.

"They hit my grandfather too. We were walking along the riverbank at dawn, like we would do every other day of the week. There were 6 of them. They came out of no where. First they hit my grandfather. He was bleeding so badly. I tried to fight them, and protect my grandfather, but I wasn't strong enough." Midori said softly, silent tears rolled down her cheeks as she told her story. Misao's heart went out to the girl. Gently, Misao used the sleeve of her kimono to wipe up the tears of the girl.

"I'm sure your grandfather is okay. There are lots of people out around Kyoto at dawn. Someone was sure to have found him and brought him to get help." Misao said. She was trying to calm the girl down. The last thing she needed was a hysterical girl on her hands while she planned an escape.

Of course any plans she developed from that point forward had to involve getting two people out instead of just one.

At that moment, the lock on the door slid out of place, and Kyosuke entered, carrying a tray laden with food. Midori pulled back against the wall at the same time Misao got to her feet, placing herself between Midori and Kyosuke.

Placing the tray on a small table at the opposite end of the room, Kyosuke turned and smirked at Misao's attempt to protect the girl. He marched directly over to Misao and grabbed hold of her chin. The small girl struggled to free herself from his grasp, but her attempt was in vain, he was much stronger than she was.

"Now now, Misao-chan. It is very unbecoming for a woman such as you to have an expression like that. You'll get wrinkles and no one will want you. Least of all that Shinomori." Kyosuke said. Misao stopped moving at the mention of Aoshi's name. How did he know so much?! Kyosuke smiled at her reaction. "Much better. You'll be glad to know you and Midori-chan will have some company soon. My men are prowling the streets of Kyoto as we speak."

"How do you know my name?" Midori whispered from behind Misao. Kyosuke's eyes moved from Misao, to the young girl. He released the small ninja-girl, and stepped around her. Bowing graciously to the girl, Kyosuke looked up with a sinister smile on his face.

"My dear Midori, I know everything about you. It makes me a better businessman to know my wares."

With a cry of rage, Misao swung her fist around towards the horrible man, only to have it caught by Kyosuke's block. He gripped her wrist painfully as he looked at the girl before him. Such spirit and fire, and a fresh beauty many men could not ignore, she was indeed his most profitable find to date. He placed a soft kiss to the back of her hand, dropped it, and sauntered out of the room. The door slid closed and locked behind him.

Misao rubbed the back of her hand furiously against her kimono, completely disgusted at Kyosuke for everything he represented. Midori quietly sobbed in her corner.

More women. More wares. More that Misao would help escape even if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

A.N.

Well, here is the latest chapter of this story. Hopefully you enjoyed it. Now I'm going to write more on my other story.

Hope you enjoyed it! It's not much of a cliffhanger, but I'm a sucker for cliffhangers so there will be many to come in this chapter. :D

Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews!!! It's you guys who make me want to continue writing.

See you next chapter!!


	8. The Past Returns ch7

Disclaimer: RK doesn't belong to me, I merely borrowed it for my story.

A.N. Well here's the next installment! The story is starting to flow more. Thanks for all the reviews you've left!

Anyways, I won't babble too much.

R&R!

Enjoy!

The Past Returns – Chapter 7

Sakura became aware of her surroundings in an instant. One moment she was completely unconscious, the next she was awake and aware. She found herself slung over the shoulder of a man as he walked through a forest. It didn't take any thought to discern that she was still a captive of the Shinsengumi. Her hands were tied tightly and a strong arm was wrapped around her waist. Her stomach hurt from digging into the shoulder of her captor and her head hurt from where she had been hit.

She knew she was in a forest from the sound of the leaves blowing, and the crunch of twigs and branches underfoot of her captor. The smell of newly blooming foliage and dew from the warming earth at dawn were more clues of her surroundings as well as the time of day, she had been out for several hours if it was dawn.

Then the thought struck her, why was she picking up on such small things? She had kept her eyes closed to ensure the Shinsengumi still thought she was unconscious, why had she done that?

The next thought struck her; where was Kaoru? Did she get away in the chaos or had she too been captured?

It was with that question that the flood of memories came back and Sakura remembered what she had done moments before blacking out.

She had killed a man.

Sakura felt like she had been hit in the stomach. She had killed someone. Again.

Again?

A faint memory, a blur of images. Sakura clung to it. Blood, death, and murder.

Hitokiri.

The word was whispered in her mind and caused her to physically recoil. The samurai who held her captive felt the tremor and knew she was awake. They had just reached their base of operations when she moved. He stopped and dumped her on the ground.

Sakura, knowing she had been caught, took the full impact and felt the wind get knocked out of her. She looked up at the samurai before her and he glowered down at her.

"Be thankful you're alive right now. You killed my friend and I wouldn't hesitate to kill you if I was ordered to." he growled. Sakura felt the tears of regret sting the back of her eyes. Refusing to show that particular weakness, she blinked them back. Her eyes shifted away from his, however, and landed on Kaoru's limp form.

She too was slung over the shoulder of one of the Shinsengumi. She was still unconscious, but Sakura could make out the faint tear stains on her cheeks.

A quick survey gave Sakura a general idea of her surroundings. The building wasn't so much a building as it was a house. Albeit a large house, it was two stories, and had the look of a traditional Japanese home. It looked brand new, but it was lacking windows, which was odd. There was trees surrounding the home, and they were very large trees that sheltered the house perfectly. You could have been standing 50 feet from the house and not know it was there.

Her survey was cut off when she noticed Kaoru being carried into the house.

"Where are you taking her?" Sakura cried out, immediately starting to get to her feet. She was kicked back down by one of the three samurai who had surrounded her while she was looking around herself.

"She is being brought inside where her wounds will be properly attended to." came the response. Sakura turned to the voice to see another samurai, this time wearing a black gi with white hakama. He had two swords at his waist and had brown hair with brown eyes. Sakura's heart stopped beating. She had seen that man before! He came towards Sakura and the other three samurai.

With one step she saw him in the black gi, in another step, an image of the man wearing a shinsengumi uniform superimposed himself over the present man, and then in his next step the image was gone. Sakura blinked, drawing in a very deep breath. Anticipating a scream, one of the samurai pressed the tip of his sword to her neck.

"No screaming, girl." The sword bearing man muttered.

"Now, now. A lady doesn't deserve that sort of treatment. It's rare for one of our guests to wake up before entering their temporary home." The familiar man said as he came to a stand still before her. He stopped and immediately his face blackened when he looked at Sakura on the ground before him.

He didn't like it when one of his new acquisitions was visibly hurt. The girl before him was covered in blood. Her face, her clothes, her hair was all bloody.

"Who hurt her?" Kyosuke growled to his subordinates.

"No one, save for the smack to the back of her head, Kyosuke-sama." was the reply from another samurai.

Sakura picked up on the –sama honourific. Also the apparent reverence and attitude from all the men surrounding her; this Kyosuke was the official leader of the Shinsengumi.

"She killed Takashi, Kyosuke-sama." Another responded. "That's his blood you're seeing."

Sakura instantly became aware of the sticky blood which covered her face, her hands, and her hair. She recoiled once more as she stared at her hands in her bloodstained lap. It was everywhere. The blood of the man she had killed was everywhere.

She couldn't stop herself. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she stared at herself. Absolute defeat was written all over her face, Kyosuke could see. There was something about the girl before him that triggered some faint memory. She was vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't place a finger on it.

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

Her whispered apology wasn't enough. Kyosuke felt the sudden rage build up in his person. This wisp of a girl before him had killed one of his comrades! She was still wearing his blood like a trophy, and her tears weren't enough. They wouldn't bring Takashi back.

"If sorry was good enough girl, you wouldn't be facing death." Kyosuke growled. Grabbing her disheveled and bloodied hair he hauled her to her feet. Sakura didn't struggle at all. She knew she faced death the moment she sliced through the other samurai's chest, spilling his blood and taking his life. She had been slightly surprised that she wasn't killed on the spot back in Kyoto.

Kyosuke held the girls arm firmly and started to march her away from the house.

"Kyosuke-sama?"

"Put the other girl in the room, Makamachi will tend to her head. I will dispose of this pest, and will return by dusk." he ordered firmly.

-

Hiko walked through the brightening forest, using dawn's light to see his way. He had spent the night in Kyoto checking out his more seedy contacts in the Kyoto underworld. Why he had spent a sleepless night attempting to find information for his baka-deshi was completely unknown to him.

Lucky for him, Hiko had been smart enough to pick up another tankard or three of sake.

He reached his home and immediately lit his hearth. He had no plans to make additional pottery today, but the inspiration may come and he was always prepared when such a thing occurred.

He moved quietly across his small piece of land, gathering things for a modest meal of rice and tofu for breakfast. Once he had gathered all the necessary things, he sat down and grabbed one of his tankards and took a small sip.

The information he had gathered, both over a drink and at sword point, had been very limited. The rumour of Shinsengumi was actually fact. One of the drunks he had cornered and threatened had confessed to seeing a bunch of samurai's in blue grabbing a young girl by the riverside one early morning. He had confirmed they were shinsengumi samurai since he had been around Kyoto 11 years before hand while the war was coming to a close.

He also said that he helped an older man who had been with the girl. The squad had injured him in order to get the girl cleanly. That had happened the in the early morning hours the day before. Hiko had made a trip to the small clinic where the older man had been taken unfortunately he had still been unconscious.

He had no other information after a full night of searching. All he knew was that Shinsengumi was in fact involved, and knowing his baka-deshi, Kenshin would be showing up at some point during the day to check and see if there were any new leads.

Almost like clockwork, Hiko heard the tell tale sounds of footsteps on his path. Although the footsteps were slower than Kenshin's usual pace, they were also dragging slightly. Hiko forced himself to sit patiently and wait for Kenshin to arrive instead of getting up to greet the baka-deshi is some humiliating fashion. He loved surprising his former apprentice like that.

It was within minutes that Kenshin was in Hiko's clearing and taking a seat across from his master. Hiko had to only look at the man before him to know that something was very wrong.

Kenshin looked as if he hadn't slept, which was the first odd sign. He had spent 4 years of his life as a hitokiri, and in those four years he didn't sleep a whole lot. To be visibly tired and distressed looking was something that should never happen to someone like Kenshin. Clenched tightly in his hand was a blue ribbon. His knuckles were very white. And that's when Hiko noticed it. The blood on Kenshin's hakama and hands.

"What happened?" Hiko demanded. He relished in his torture of his baka-deshi, but truth be told he was protective; after all, Hiko raised Kenshin since he was a boy.

"They took Kaoru and Sakura." Kenshin replied. Hiko picked up on the defeat in Kenshin's voice. He also picked up on the second name. That was something he would ask about later.

"Shinsengumi?"

Kenshin nodded.

"How do you know?"

"Because one of them is dead."

"Kaoru or Sakura?" Hiko asked, dreading the answer since Kenshin loved Kaoru and had some sort of feelings for this Sakura person.

"No, one of the shinsengumi." Kenshin replied.

"Did you kill him?"

"No."

"Who did?" Hiko asked, suddenly confused. If there had been a man there to kill a Shinsengumi samurai, then why hadn't he saved Kaoru or Sakura?

"I can't say. I promised." Kenshin replied dejectedly. Hiko's patience wasn't exactly available in large amounts. He had little to none when it came to his baka-deshi regardless. After having spent the night with no sleep, Hiko wasn't exactly in the best of moods. But with one look at the famous hitokiri, Hiko couldn't bring himself to reprimand his former student.

Deciding to drop the subject for the moment, Hiko turned the conversation to his latest piece of information.

"Well, my night of information gathering was wasted. I found out that the Shinsengumi are actually behind all the kidnappings, but you already know that for sure now." Hiko retorted, taking another swig of his sake.

Kenshin kept his eyes fixated upon the fire in the hearth. He barely heard the words from his shishou. The only thing he could hear was Sakura's frantic scream from the night before. She had raised her sword once again and struck down a man.

Had she recovered her memory? Did the squad responsible for Kaoru's kidnapping take Sakura too? Did they kill her for revenge? Or did they do something much worse?

What about Kaoru? Where was she? Was she alive or dead? If she was alive, was she with Misao? Why were they kidnapping women? Why had he let her run off?

His anger at himself emerged once again, and Kenshin clenched his teeth in frustration.

" – heard about a rash of kidnappings a while back in Osaka. About 15 women went missing in a 3 month span. Supposedly they were all sold to men from other parts of the world."

Hiko's words snapped Kenshin back to his senses. His anger receded enough so that he could think clearly.

"What did you just say?" Kenshin interrupted.

"I said one of the men I 'interviewed' last night was from Osaka, and he said there had been a bunch of kidnappings there. About 15 girls went missing. The last one went missing 8 months ago. Rumour in Osaka was that the women were all sold." Hiko replied, sipping his sake.

"Sold." Kenshin replied. A sick feeling welled up in his stomach. Sold? As in bought? Someone bought another person? "Who did the kidnapping? What happened? Did they ever find the girls again?"

"He didn't know. All he whined about was that his daughter was missing, and he had nothing after she disappeared. So he moved from place to place, drinking himself stupid, trying to forget her. Probably for the best. I mean if she was sold then she's never coming back. You should forget those who are important to you if you know you'll never see them again." Hiko stated. He didn't believe a word that had come out of his mouth, but he was back to provoking Kenshin as best he could. Usually having the red-head angry got some results.

There were never any exceptions.

Kenshin got to his feet, blue ribbon still clutched firmly in his hand. He glared down at his shishou, angry at the man's statement.

"You should never forget about the people you love." Kenshin replied firmly. "They give you a reason to live."

With that, Kenshin turned and started to leave. He was hell bent on getting back to the Aoiya with the rumour and trying to find out if there was any truth to it through his friends the Oniwabanshu.

"Who is Sakura, Kenshin?" Hiko asked. Kenshin had made it three steps before the question was asked. He stopped dead, and not turning to his master, he replied.

"Someone I love."

Then he was gone. Leaving Hiko smiling slightly into the fire.

"There seem to be a growing number of reasons for you to keep living, my baka-deshi." Hiko said, sipping more sake.

Kenshin ran as fast as he could back to Kyoto. He used familiar side streets and alleyways to get back to the Aoiya in no time at all. He needed to find Okina or Aoshi. One of the two men would know about the Osaka rumour.

Throwing open the entrance door, Omasu barely called out a welcoming greeting before Kenshin had raced past her towards the stairs to the second floor. He got to the landing, and opened the door to the main sitting room in hopes of finding Okina.

Empty.

He checked the other rooms on the second floor only to find them empty. The final room to check was Aoshi's. Kenshin didn't hesitate, nor did he bother with a polite knock before he slid the door open to see if there was anyone inside.

The room was empty. Aoshi's futon was neatly folded to the side, there was a small chest that no doubt held his uniform, and there was a sword stand in the centre of the room. The smell of stale blood invaded his being before he even noticed the sword stand. But when his eyes landed on the sword that was placed on the top, his heart clenched painfully, and a cold feeling took hold of his entire being.

A samurai never forgets a sword.

A hitokiri never forgets a kill.

Kenshin found himself staring at his old sword. His sword used during the revolution.

Hitokiri Battousai's infamous killing sword.

"Himura-san, if you're looking for Aoshi-sama he is still with the police. Okina is downstairs in the sitting room however." Shirojo said. Kenshin tore his eyes from the sword in the stand and looked at the ninja. His expression must have been cause for concern. There was a brief flash of shock in Shirojo's eyes, but it was quickly masked. Had Kenshin been paying closer attention, he would have seen it, but his thoughts were a jumbled mess.

"Thank you." Kenshin replied. He tore himself away from Aoshi's door and moved towards the stairs. The most important thing was the rumour from Osaka. He had to find Kaoru. He would worry about the reappearance of his sword later.

Shirojo watched the samurai walk down the stairs at a more sedate pace. When Kenshin was out of sight, the ninja quietly moved to close his leader's door. First he did a sweep with his eyes, to see what could have caused Kenshin such distress. The only thing in Aoshi's room that was out of place was the old sword on the stand. Filing the information away, Shirojo slid the door shut and returned to his duties.

Whether it was the sake, the warmth of the fire, or the lack of sleep the previous night, Hiko woke up under the mid-afternoon sun. Groggily, he stood up and went for the bucket of cold water he kept in his hut. The lack of sleep, the sake, and age was all catching up to Hiko. He needed to wake up.

He moved to dump the entire contents of the bucket over his head, but nothing came out. Cursing himself for not filling the bucket last time, he set out on the walk to the rivers edge.

When he reached the water, Hiko immediately filled the bucket and promptly dumped it over his head. The cold water gave his system a shock and woke him up quite effectively. Shaking his head, Hiko rid his hair of excess water and then bent to retrieve more water to bring back to his hut.

"Where's the baka-deshi when I need him?" he grumbled. Turning, Hiko started to make his way back when out of the corner of his eye he saw something. He stopped for a moment to look and what he saw was the last thing he expected.

Not 20 feet from him was a girl, soaking wet, and gripping a short sword as if her life depended on it. She was partly on dry land, and partly in the river. She looked as if she had hauled herself onto land. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were shut. Hiko made his way over to her on silent feet. He was about arms reach from her when her eyes snapped open to stare up at him.

She reacted faster than Hiko though any girl could react. One moment she was a semi-unconscious wet girl, the next she was on her feet, sword at the ready, and glaring at Hiko as if he were a demon.

"Stay back." She whispered. It was then that Hiko noticed her injuries. She had a broken lip where blood was dripping, her right eye was black, and her wrists were chafed. The worst was she had faint bruises darkening on her neck by the second, which lead Hiko to believe that someone in her very recent past tried to choke her to death.

A bare handed killing was very personal, and very vengeful.

Her appearance, and her heavy breathing told Hiko she wasn't much longer for the conscious world. But the way she held the sword in her hands, and her defensive position spoke volumes to the seasoned samurai. She knew swords, very very well. In top health she could probably put up a brief fight, but Hiko knew she wasn't much of a threat. She was a woman after all.

In a lightening fast motion, Hiko dropped his bucket of water and had the girl by the wrist. He pulled the short sword from her weakening grasp.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Hiko heard himself say, as if trying to reassure the girl for some strange reason. Up close, her blue eyes resembled those of a caged and confused animal. The girl started to go limp right before Hiko's eyes. Her whole body seemed to be shutting down. Dropping the sword, Hiko grabbed her to him before she hit the ground.

"Please... help Kaoru." She whispered. Hiko watched her eyes roll back into her head as she finally fainted in his arms.

"Kaoru?" Hiko heard himself say. This girl, who was she? Was the Kaoru she mentioned the same as Kenshin's woman?

Why the hell had he caught her as she fainted? Normally Hiko would have let the woman faint. It wouldn't have been the first time a woman fainted before him. When they see his good looks, women usually fainted. But not this one, for some reason she was different.

Hiko shrugged his shoulders, hoisted the girls limp form up and over them, grabbed his bucket, which was still full thanks to his skill, and started back to his hut.

Picking up a stray dog had caused him great frustration in the past. Maybe if it was a woman this time it would be different than that red-haired boy from so long ago.

A.N. Greetings! So it's all running along nicely now. Sorta. I'm hoping to get into the background of the new Shinsengumi and find out why they're doing what they're doing.

Oh! And for anyone who read my prequel to this, you may or may not remember my saying that I'll have a story in the future with everyone's favorite Shinsengumi leader, and I'm true to my word, he'll show up in the next chapter:D

Sakura-san


	9. The Past Returns ch8

Disclaimer: RK is in no way, shape, or form mine to any extent. I merely borrowed the characters for this tale.

A.N. Heya! Sakura here! And here is another "Exciting" chapter to my latest story. I thank you for your patience and I really hope you enjoy this work!

I should also mention that there is SPOILERS to the manga in this chapter. It dawned on me as I was writing that I should probably put a small blurb at the beginning of each chapter saying that there are manga spoilers in this story... my bad. ;;

R&R!

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8

Smoke billowed over his head and rose up into the lightening sky as Saito Hajime stood over the body of a slain Shinsengumi samurai. He took a long draw from his cigarette blocking out the thought of seeing comrades in such a position over 10 years before hand. Beside him stood the tall, silent form of Shinomori Aoshi.

When the police had arrived at the scene near dawn, Shinomori had already been there. They had detained him until their commander, which was Saito, had arrived. As soon as the blue haori had been spotted by one of the older members of the police, Saito had been the first to be called. Not because anyone knew who he was. To them, he was Fujita Goro – respectable samurai police officer, not the famed captain of Shinsengumi squad 3. No, they had called him because it was an order. Whenever a body was found, if anything seemed out of the ordinary; ordinary being something like a death resulting from a drunken brawl, then Fujita was to be called.

Saito stared down at the body of the young man. The long bloody wound ran from hip to shoulder, a straight diagonal cut. The cut was clean, signifying that a sharp blade had done the cutting, and it was the fatal blow. A cut of that kind could only be done by a battoujutsu, and there was only one man Saito knew who could deliver such a blow.

"Where is he?" Saito muttered to the man standing next to him. Aoshi's eyes remained fixed on the body before them both. Two police officers were covering it with a sheet since the break of day was bringing people out from their homes, and eyes wandered when there was a cluster of police in a narrow alley.

"I don't know." Aoshi replied. It didn't take a genius to know whom Saito was referring to.

"So he is back." Saito stated.

"Yes. But he did not do this." Aoshi defended, knowing exactly what Saito was thinking. The cut was obviously done by a samurai skilled enough to execute a battoujutsu. It had been Battousai's signature move during the revolution, and Saito was more than familiar with seeing the result of one of Himura's slayings.

"I have no doubt of that. Himura Kenshin has buried his hitokiri nature. But since Shinsengumi are being slandered in these kidnappings, then I figured that red-head would be called here. He can't help but stick his nose where it doesn't belong." Saito snorted.

"You know of the kidnappings?" Aoshi asked.

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business, Shinomori." Saito replied, casting a sidelong glance at the man beside him.

"Misao was kidnapped."

At that statement, Saito's eyebrows shot up and he turned his head so he could actually look at Shinomori Aoshi.

"Weasel girl?"

"And the Kamiya girl was taken last night... from this alley." Aoshi finished.

Saito let that piece of news sink in. Last time that girl was kidnapped, her death was faked at the same time. Kenshin had lost his will to live and hidden himself in his mind. He became a recluse and attempted to escape life and bury his sword. It had been in vain, and the pleas for help from a young girl had snapped him out of his depression. But it just showed the power that girl held over the former manslayer.

"So where is he now?" Saito asked again.

"As I said before, I don't know. But he did say he would return. If you cared to wait at the Aoiya it would save you some time." Aoshi offered. Saito pondered the offer for a moment. While he didn't look forward to setting foot inside the headquarters of the Oniwabanshu, he did want to see Himura and question him. If he didn't pull off the battoujutsu, then who did?

"Fine, Shinomori. I'll accompany you." Saito replied, throwing his cigarette to the ground and grinding it out with his shoe. He turned back to the police officers that were loading the body onto a cart to take it away. "Destroy the body and clean the scene. I'll be accompanying Shinomori to conduct further questioning." he ordered.

With the officer's affirmative response, Saito and Aoshi started to make their way to the Aoiya. Fishing another cigarette out of his uniform pocket, Saito put it between his lips and lit it.

* * *

Okina sat in the front room of the Aoiya sipping a steaming cup of green tea. Kenshin sat across from him looking very distracted... almost troubled.

"Himura-kun, don't worry. We will find Kaoru-san and Misao." Okina said, trying to ease the mind of the worried samurai. Kenshin raised his eyes to the older man, and forced a small smile.

Kaoru. Kami-sama what was he going to do? Kaoru, Misao. Missing. His old sword had arrived again. It's stench of blood still invading his senses. Sakura. Missing. Her slaying still fresh in his mind. Had she kept a vow to not kill anyone either? If she had, when she killed that samurai did she lose her mind? Had she really calmed from the revolution or was she still a cold blooded killer?

Kenshin shook his head violently. Okina's head snapped up to see the action. He knew what torment Kenshin was feeling. With Misao missing, his heart constantly ached. He could only imagine what Kenshin was going through. Two women who were apparently very important to Kenshin had been taken as well.

"Kenshin, where's Kaoru? I can't find her and it's time for my lesson." A young voice called. Kenshin's eyes widened at the sound of Yahiko's voice, and he whirled around to face the sliding door just as the boy opened it.

In the midst of his own self torture, Kenshin had forgotten about Yahiko. The boy had slept through the piercing scream from the night before, and slept solid until the morning. He had missed everything.

"Yahiko." Kenshin breathed. He would be the first to admit that telling the boy that Kaoru was gone, again, was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Yahiko had suffered enough in his short life. To lose Kaoru again would be terrible for him.

Yahiko saw the worried look in Okina's eyes. He also saw the worried look in Kenshin's eyes and felt his stomach lurch; threatening to empty itself of the breakfast he had just eaten.

"W-where is she, Kenshin?" Yahiko's voice shook slightly. A hot ball of dread formed in the pit of his stomach. He knew he didn't want to hear the answer.

She was gone.

"Yahiko..." Kenshin started. But Yahiko didn't need to hear the rest. Kaoru was gone, he could tell from the tone of Kenshin's voice, and the look in his eyes. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yahiko refused to get upset in any way. He was a samurai and they were mature and level-headed. He entered the room fully, slid the door shut and took a seat on the floor.

Kenshin saw the flash of terror in the boy's eyes before it was covered up. He stopped his sentence the moment he saw the look and just watched Yahiko collect himself, enter the room and sit calmly like a grownup would do. He admired Yahiko more and more everyday for his perseverance.

"What are we going to do?" he asked quietly. Okina smiled at the boy turned man.

"We're going to get them back." Okina replied simply. Yahiko nodded. Before he could ask another question, the shoji door slid open once more, this time revealing Aoshi, and a man dressed in blue. The three occupants of the room turned to the door and all eyes fell on Saito Hajime.

Okina merely surveyed the man, bearing him no ill will.

Kenshin was in no way surprised that the former Shinsengumi captain was investigating the series of kidnappings being carried out by a new group of Shinsengumi. They were after all tarnishing the name of the samurai troupe from the revolution.

Yahiko bristled slightly. He didn't bother to conceal his resentment of the police officer.

Saito glanced around the room, and smirked when his eyes fell upon the boy who sneered up at him. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Saito entered the room.

"Battousai. I'd like a word with you."

* * *

Kaoru regained consciousness to experience the worst headache she had ever had. That even included the terrible headache she had the morning after the party they held at the dojo that Sano had thrown!

Groaning, Kaoru placed a tentative hand on the lump at the back of her head. She found herself lying on her side, to keep pressure off the wound on her head under her hair. She was thankful for that because even the light brush of her fingertips hurt tremendously.

"Kaoru-san! You're awake!" A very familiar and very welcome voice cried. Kaoru's eyes snapped open and she sat up only to come face to face with Misao.

Relief coursed through Kaoru when she saw that her friend was in one piece. Without thinking Kaoru threw her arms around Misao and pulled the younger girl into a hug.

"Thank goodness you're alright Misao-chan! We have been so worried about you!" Kaoru cried, hugging her friend even closer.

Misao was relieved that Kaoru was okay, and hugged her back. In the back of her mind she knew how much danger they both were in but just to have a familiar friend present helped ease her mind a little.

"I'm alive." Misao replied softly. The thought that Misao could have been dead flew through Kaoru's mind. It made her shudder on the inside. But the thought of death brought the last images from the previous night sharply into Kaoru's mind.

She had watched a man die a very brutal death.

"Sakura! Where is she, is she okay?" Kaoru cried, pulling away from Misao and glancing around the room. There was a young girl tending to another woman who was unconscious on the floor near Kaoru. But Sakura was no where to be seen.

"Who is Sakura?" Misao asked. Kaoru's heart fell. If Sakura wasn't there, then there was only one explanation.

She was dead.

For reasons beyond Kaoru's comprehension, she started to cry. Sakura was dead, she must be! She killed a man, right in front of his comrades. Kenshin would be destroyed. After finding his love again after so many years, only to lose her to Shinsengumi was too painful to think about, for many reasons.

"Kaoru-san?" Misao asked softly, as she watched her friend bury her face in her hands and cry. Whoever Sakura was, she must have been important.

Kaoru's pounding head caused her more pain as she cried. She found herself falling into the open arms of her friend and sobbing for the death of a woman who meant so much to the man Kaoru herself loved.

"Now now, tears are not welcome here. They distort your pretty faces." A snide voice called softly. Misao went rigid and chills went up Kaoru's spine. A small whimper came out of the other girl as she backed into a corner and curled up to protect herself. The shouji door slid open to reveal a dark haired man.

Kaoru did not like him immediately. His brown hair was tousled, his gi was rumpled and there was an empty short sword saya at his waist. He had a long cut on his right cheek and the blood that had poured out of it was dried to his face. His expression was blacker than the darkest night.

In two strides he was across the room and had grabbed Kaoru by the neck. He lifted her to her feet and slammed her against the wall. Kaoru's weakened state and her pounding headache were amplified tenfold as she feebly attempted to extract herself from his vise-like grasp.

"Your little friend was quite the wildcat. She killed one of my men and did everything in her power to escape me. The funny thing was, she willingly subjected herself to my tortures until I threatened you. Who are you, and who was that girl?" he seethed.

Kaoru struggled to breath. His one-handed grip at her neck was cutting off her air. Her vision was blurring and tears of helpless anger flooded her eyes.

Misao shook herself out of her dumbfounded state and was at Kaoru's assistance in a heartbeat. She lunged at Kyosuke only to find herself frozen as she stared at the sharp blade of his katana which he had instantaneously drawn from his saya at her movement.

"I don't know!" Kaoru answered honestly. She didn't know much about Sakura except her name and that she meant a lot to Kenshin. Kyosuke dropped Kaoru and she fell to the floor at his feet. He glared down at the girl and gave her a kick in the stomach, a place where his buyers wouldn't see injuries.

Gasping for air, and clutching her stomach with one arm, Kaoru reached out and gripped the edges of his hakama.

"What did you do to her?" she whispered. Kyosuke pulled his hakama out of her grasp and sneered down at the fallen girl. Her blue eyes were mixed with pain and worry. Her long black hair was strewn about her body, and for the first time in his life, Kyosuke felt the stirrings of desire.

Sheathing his sword, he leaned down and brushed a stray hair from Kaoru's face. He trailed a finger down her jaw line and marveled at how soft her skin was. Kaoru didn't move an inch. It was a mixture of revulsion and anger that kept her still.

"I killed her." He whispered as a slow satisfying smile spread across his face. Kaoru's eyes grew wider. Kyosuke enjoyed the look of fear in her eyes, but the flash of anger was even more enjoyable. Taking a lock of her hair, Kyosuke brought it up to his face. He brushed the soft hair against his cheek and inhaled the sweet scent of jasmine.

Misao watched Kyosuke and Kaoru in frozen horror. She couldn't find her voice to shout at him to stop, or to snap Kaoru out of her trance. She couldn't even find her strength to move to her friend's side!

"I may keep you for myself, blue-eyes." Kyosuke whispered softly as he brushed the lock of hair over his lips. Kaoru reacted before thinking. She pulled her head back so her hair would fall from his grasp, and lashed out with her hand, slapping him hard across the face.

He didn't see her hand flying towards him, but he felt her slap, and he especially felt the sword wound on his cheek when the slap split it open again. Blood flowed from the wound, sharply reminding him of the girl who had caused it.

"You little bitch!" he roared. He was just reaching for Kaoru once again when Misao found her voice.

"She's Battousai's woman! If you touch her, Battousai will kill you!" she cried. The mention of Battousai had Kyosuke pausing. He backed away from Kaoru very slowly, and turned towards Misao. Kaoru used that opportunity to scramble to her feet.

"Shinsengumi do not fear anyone." He sneered. In a lightning fast motion, Kyosuke lashed out and slapped Kaoru, hard, across the face. The force of his slap caused Kaoru to fall to the floor again, and the coppery taste of blood flooded into her mouth from her split lip. With that, Kyosuke left the room.

Everything was silent except for the occasional sobs of the girl who was still cowering in the corner. Kaoru reached up a tentative hand and touched her bleeding lip.

"Misao, what's going on?" Kaoru asked softly.

* * *

Hiko added another log to the fire that was before him. To his left was a tankard of sake and the short sword the girl had when he pulled her from the river. To his right was the mysterious girl, still unconscious.

He had, for some reason, laid her out on his cape in front of the fire and used the water he had retrieved to clean the girl up. She had been very dirty from the muddy shore of the river, and the dried blood on her face. He also cleaned off her hands and forearms.

He couldn't help but notice the scars and the calluses that covered her arms and hands. Nor could he ignore the blood that soaked her kimono. What swordsman wouldn't notice?

There was no other explanation for it.

The girl was a samurai. And she had killed someone recently.

* * *

A.N. Okie doke! Happy Easter to those of you who practice this holiday! If not, happy chocolate bunny in the stores week! I'm having fun writing again. I wind up in front of my PC a lot more lately. I just hope you enjoy this chapter!

Thanks to all of you for your patience and your reviews, I really appreciate it:)

Until next time!


	10. The Past Returns ch9

Disclaimer: RK and it's characters are not mine, I merely borrowed them for my tale.

A.N. Hey hey! Okay, here's the latest chapter of my fanfic. For those of you waiting, you were probably thinking I had dropped off the face of the Earth! I haven't it's just hard to write when you work full-time :P Stupid real life gets in the way. That and the fact that I'm a terrible procrastinator. So I'm sorry for such a long wait! I hope you like it.

R&R!

Enjoy!

------------------------

Chapter 9

Kenshin met Saito's eyes evenly, and nodded slightly. Aoshi entered the room and gestured for Saito to do the same. Both men knelt before Kenshin.

"I'd like a few words with you, Saito." Kenshin replied. Saito couldn't help but notice that the annoying rurouni phrase 'this one' Kenshin constantly used when referring to himself was gone. Something had changed in the samurai, something big.

"What do you know of the man who was killed last night?" Saito asked straight out. Kenshin shook his head.

"I don't know who he was." was the response.

"Who killed him?"

There was a hesitation on Kenshin's part. That was the one question he didn't want to answer. He had a horrible feeling that it was Sakura. He actually had no doubt in his mind that it was Sakura. It was a battoujutsu that had been the killing blow. He had taught her that very move almost 12 years beforehand. He knew of only three people who could have possibly done that technique, and two of those people wouldn't have done it. But Sakura, with her current state of mind, she could have.

"I don-" Kenshin started.

"Don't lie, Battousai. It is very unbecoming of a samurai to lie." Saito interrupted. Yahiko growled slightly. Kenshin met Saito's eyes evenly. He knew it was unbecoming to lie, but he wanted to find Sakura and know for sure she had done it, before he told anyone.

"Then I will simply say that I don't want to name names, since I cannot be sure." Kenshin replied firmly. Steely black eyes narrowed at hardened amethyst eyes.

Yes, something had changed in Kenshin, Saito was sure of it.

"Do you know where this group of Shinsengumi came from?" Kenshin asked, changing the subject. It wasn't as if he didn't want to talk about Sakura, but if he knew a little more about the samurai he was dealing with, he would have a better chance of finding Kaoru.

"I don't know anything about them. I know that a rash of kidnappings has been happening in various places throughout Japan, it has only been recently that we have discovered the so called Shinsengumi involvement." Saito responded. He was craving a cigarette but he refrained. He didn't smoke in his own home, he would not disrespect Okina and the Aoiya by lighting one up in the room.

"Tell us about the other kidnappings." Aoshi requested.

It was going to be a long afternoon, Saito knew it, and he really wanted a cigarette now.

"If it would make Saito-san more comfortable, we could move this meeting to the outside, so that he may have a cigarette." Okina said. Saito glanced over at the aged man, wondering if he had been that obvious.

The group of men, and boy, made their way to the back garden of the Aoiya. Yahiko sat down heavily on the wooden step leading to the yard so he could keep a close eye on the four men that stood in the garden. Kenshin was flanked by Aoshi, and Okina stood to the side, his hands clasped behind his back staring up at the clouds.

Saito pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, inhaled, and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"The police don't know much. Kidnappings were never well documented since the revolution. There were much more important things for the police to concentrate on, like enforcing the sword law, or keeping control in a very unstable country as the new government formed. It was about a year ago when suspicious numbers of young women started to go missing in the Hokkaido region." Saito started.

"How much is suspicious?" Aoshi asked.

"We're not sure the exact number. Fifty, maybe more." Kenshin's eyes widened at the number. Okina let out a large breath.

"That's a lot of women." Aoshi mumbled. Kenshin silently agreed. It was so easy to tear down an old government, but it took a lot longer to rebuild one. The police suffered because of that, and in turn, the people suffered because of that.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Yahiko asked loudly from his step. He wasn't too pleased that there were 3 highly skilled men standing before him who could easily go out there and find Kaoru and Misao, yet they were standing around talking like a bunch of women!

Saito looked at the boy and exhaled a cloud of smoke. "We aren't going to do anything, boy. You are going to sit there and keep your mouth shut."

Yahiko opened his mouth to respond, but he caught a look from Kenshin that had him closing his mouth immediately. Yahiko had never seen Kenshin give him a look like that. Usually Kenshin picked up for the young man, but this time it looked like Kenshin was agreeing with Saito! Not only was he disappointed, Yahiko was a little hurt that Kenshin sided with that creep.

Overhead, the sky grew gray with impending rain clouds.

* * *

Hiko prodded the fire a little more and looked overhead at the darkening sky. It was threatening to rain, and if he guessed right, it would rain hard. Hiko's eyes traveled from the gray sky to the girl who still lay on the ground, out cold. Beside him were his sword, and the sword he used to train Kenshin as a boy. He had thrown away the short sword the girl had in her grasp when he found her. It wasn't a very good sword and probably wouldn't survive what Hiko had planned.

He just hoped he was right about that girl.

Sakura slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes opened and she groaned slightly. Her first sight was a large man with long black hair looming over her. He was looking down at her with an odd expression. She was aware that she was lying on cool grass, and the warmth of a fire was nearby. She was also aware that she was in a lot of pain.

Her face bore the most pain, and the most damage that Hiko could see. Her lower lip was broken and swollen. Her left eye had a bruise surrounding it, and her neck was exceedingly sore. She vaguely recalled her final minutes of fighting her kidnapper.

Her captor had brought her to a secluded area, next to a river and not too far away from the roar of a waterfall. He had beaten her, resulting her facial damage, and she had allowed it. Mainly since she felt she deserved it for killing a man. He had started to choke her and threatened her. The fact that she didn't fight back wasn't good enough, so he started threatening Kaoru.

With that, Sakura had fought back. She had managed to grab his short sword and sliced his face open with it. She had the uncontrollable urge to kill him, but instead she found herself tumbling down the waterfall. Sakura couldn't remember how she had ended up in the river, or how she had found the strength and the willpower to pull herself to safety, but she did. And now she was lying on the cool ground, next to a warm fire, staring up at a large man.

"Welcome back, samurai." Hiko said. Sakura sat up and looked at him.

"Who are you?" she asked, wincing when her voice came out as a hoarse whisper. More damage had been done than she had realized.

"I am Hiko Seijiro." He replied.

"Hiko Seijiro?" she replied slowly, saying his name as if trying to remember him.

"Yes. And you are?" Hiko asked. The girl's eyes looked to him, and she hesitated.

"I don't know. I've lost my memory." She replied. Lie. Well, mostly. Hiko knew from her hesitation and the sudden change in her ki that she was lying, mostly. He prodded the fire again, sighed and stood up.

Sakura watched him warily. There was something about that man, something she couldn't quite place her finger on. For one she was oddly comfortable around him, which was weird since she hadn't felt comfortable around anyone since she woke up at Ginji-sensei's home. But at the same time she was unsettled by him. She could feel the power he exuded.

He was obviously a strong man.

She wondered what he would be like to spar against.

Sakura blinked and shook her head slightly. Where had that come from!

"You're lying." Hiko said calmly. Sakura felt herself bristle slightly.

"I am not lying." She replied coldly.

"You're lying again."

"I am not lying!"

"What more could I expect? You are a woman after all." Hiko sneered, glancing over his shoulder at her. Sakura was on her feet with that comment.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means what it means. Women are liars."

"Excuse me? I am not a liar!"

"Then what's your name?"

"Hideki!" Sakura yelled angrily. She blinked, immediately calming. "Sakura."

Angry. Sakura actually found herself angry and annoyed with the beast of a man standing before her. Hiko turned and smirked and Sakura had the uncontrollable urge to slap the smirk off his face. As comfortable as she was with him, she was quickly starting to hate him.

"See? That wasn't so difficult was it?" Hiko smiled. Sakura scowled. From under his cloak, Hiko pulled out a small sword and threw it at Sakura. Instinctively Sakura grabbed it in her left hand. She glanced uneasily at the sword. It was a child's sword, one used for practice, but for some reason Sakura could feel the quality of the sword through the sheath.

"What is this?"

"I thought that would be obvious to someone like you. It's a sword. One I used to teach my baka-deshi many years ago. It is a good sword." Hiko replied. Sakura clutched the sword closer to her chest, grasping it with both hands.

"Someone like me?" Sakura asked.

"A samurai. It has been a while since I sparred." Hiko replied, parting his cloak once more and slowly unsheathing his own sword. Sakura's heart started to beat rapidly, with excitement. Her eyes grew slightly wider, shocked at her own feelings. She should be afraid, very afraid! Hiko Seijiro was obviously a gifted swordsman, and he wanted to spar with her! "I hope you don't disappoint me."

With those words, Hiko took an offensive stance. His eyes turned hard, and his breathing changed slightly, becoming more even. Sakura's heart clenched.

Now she was afraid.

* * *

Yahiko sat on the landing, staring at the men standing before him. They had been talking for over an hour and Yahiko's patience was wearing thin. Kaoru and Misao were out there, in the clutches of some criminal, and the strongest men in all of Japan were standing in a flower garden, talking!

The young aspiring samurai had a hard time keeping his emotions to himself. The men in the flower garden were well aware of the boy's impatience and annoyance. All but one chose to ignore it. Kenshin couldn't help but feel bad for him. Yahiko didn't know that logic was the first step towards rescuing the kidnapped women in this case.

It was true that Kenshin, Aoshi, Saito and Okina had been speaking for over an hour, they had come to the conclusion that the only reason why the women could completely disappear would be because they were taken from Japan totally. Vanishing without a trace just doesn't happen.

They still hadn't figured out why there was a group of men posing as Shinsengumi, nor had they figured out why they were kidnapping women. More talking would be needed before action occurred, and Yahiko was going to have to learn patience.

Of course, with constant talking, the subject was always steered back to the dead samurai, and Sakura. Kenshin evaded many questions on her, refusing to answer them mostly. Silently he worried about her, but no where near as much as he worried about Kaoru. Her hair ribbon was tucked into his gi, and it was like fire burning his skin.

"Himura." Aoshi said, snapping Kenshin out of his daze.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Kenshin asked, refocusing on the conversation.

"I mentioned that Shinsengumi normally show no fear and live out in the open." Saito replied. Kenshin nodded, since it was the truth. During the revolution the elite group of samurai lived in the midst of the city, moving back and forth wearing their bright blue colours.

"But these Shinsengumi are different, they work, and live in secret." Aoshi replied.

"Hmm, well we know they're not the same as those from the revolution. So of course we need to assume they are in hiding. Since the kidnappings are occurring in various cities around the country we need to find the common link between these cities. Saito?" Kenshin turned to the police officer. His question was unsaid, but Saito understood what Kenshin was looking for.

"Kyoto, Osaka, Matsue, Yokohama."

"All coastal towns, so obviously they are removing the women by boat." Aoshi said.

"Also towns surrounded with very thick forest." Okina said thoughtfully.

"We know that they need thick forest for cover, but they're also going to need a water source, so they must build close to a river or lake of some sort." Saito replied.

"There isn't enough time to cover all the rivers and lakes, we need to know exactly where to look." Kenshin replied.

"If they're building something, they would need to build big enough to house the entire group of samurai, as well as a group of women." Aoshi said.

"We are assuming that they keep the women and build a large group for transport. For all we know, they could take the women, and immediately send them away from Japan." Saito replied. With that horrible thought, the group of men fell silent.

Aoshi didn't want to think that Misao could be gone from Japan completely and forever. The thought made his heart constrict painfully.

As silence descended upon the group, Yahiko grew more and more impatient. He had listened to everything that had been said, and yet there had been no real plan formed; nothing that would indicate that they were going to actually start looking, and the evening was rapidly approaching.

Not only was darkness falling, but the clouds were rolling in, and the far-off rumble of thunder could be heard.

With the first sound of thunder, the four men looked up to see the darkening sky. A storm was approaching. The first droplet of rain fell, breaking the smooth surface of the koi pond, then the second, followed by more and more. Saito threw another cigarette butt down and stepped on it, putting it out.

"We best move inside to finish this." He said, and started for the residence.

Yahiko's patience finally snapped.

"Move inside? We should be looking for Kaoru and Misao!" He yelled, leaping to his feet.

"Yahiko." Kenshin said, stopping in front of the boy. Saito ignored him and proceeded to the cover of the porch. Okina couldn't stay in the rain, so he too joined Saito on the porch.

"No! Listen to me! Kaoru has been missing for almost a day! Misao for much too long! We need to act, not talk! You're acting like a bunch of cowards!" he cried, jumping from the porch onto the rapidly soaking ground. The rain was falling much harder now, and Yahiko, Kenshin and Aoshi were soaked in moments.

"Yahiko, we need to think this through, we can't just aimlessly wander through the dark night trying to find a house which may or may not exist." Aoshi reasoned.

"If you cared at all about Misao you would have been out there looking for her the second you learned she was missing!"

"Yahiko!" Kenshin scolded.

"No! You've turned into the biggest coward of them all! This Sakura woman comes along and you turned completely around! You used to be brave and now you're just hiding!"

Being reprimanded by an 11 year old was a new thing for Kenshin. Having the boy make complete sense was another story. But Yahiko was still a child; he didn't understand that rushing headlong into a battle wasn't the answer. At least not in this case.

"Yahiko, we can't rush into this. Kaoru-dono's life is on the line here."

"And the longer we stay here the more likely it is that her life is over!"

The mere thought that Kaoru was dead was like being doused in cold water. Kenshin remembered vividly the lifeless doll Enishi had left behind to fool Kenshin the previous year.

"I understand what you're saying..."

"If you understood, we wouldn't be having this conversation. If you're not willing to go look, then I'll go myself!" Yahiko yelled. Kenshin couldn't stop the boy when he ran. He took one step towards Yahiko's retreating back when a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder. Kenshin looked back to see Okina standing beside him.

"Let him go. He's worried and feeling as helpless as we all do. He'll be back."

Kenshin stayed where he was, and Okina dropped his hand back to his side. The sound of Yahiko's retreating footfalls grew softer and softer as the rain began to fall harder and faster.

Helpless was exactly what Kenshin felt, and his frustration was mounting because he couldn't do anything about it.

Yahiko ran as fast as his feet would carry him through the rain. The bottom of his hakama was quickly covered in mud and he was soaked through to the skin, but he continued to run. He had one last hope for help, it was a long shot, but anything was better than sitting around watching men talk.

He just hoped Hiko Seijiro was in a generous mood.

------------

A.N. Well, it took me a long long long long LONG time to get this chapter typed. I also spent a lot of time reviewing the last section over and over and over until it was as I had intended it. Whoever said writing was easy was lying. :P But it is fun so that's all good.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'm starting the next one very soon. I won't forget about the story I promise I'll finish it:D

Sakra-san


	11. The Past Returns ch10

Disclaimer: RK and its characters are not mine; I merely borrowed them for my tale.

A.N. Greetings! Here's chapter 10. I hope you enjoy it! I took a lot of time writing this one. I went back and rewrote a lot of the text just cuz I didn't like my original stuff. I think this worked better.

There's reference to the prequel in this chapter so if you didn't read it I hope I managed to get enough info in there that you won't be confused.

R&R!

Enjoy!

--------------------------

The Past Returns

Chapter 10

Sakura tore through the darkening forest as fast as her feet would carry her. Her heart pounded with intense fear. Behind her, Hiko Seijiro followed silently and swiftly. She had discarded her sword somewhere behind her in order to gain more speed, but it wasn't helping at all. Hiko was a powerful swordsman, and she couldn't escape him.

The fear she felt was, crazily enough, was not caused by Hiko, it was caused by the darkness that surrounded her. Haunting memories that she had been struggling to suppress, she knew she didn't want to remember her old life. Especially after what Kenshin had told her.

Hiko followed the terrified women with ease. She was making no attempt to silence her footfalls, nor had she made any attempt to fight back. He knew he wasn't wrong in his assumption. He knew she was gifted. And he knew she was running from something more terrifying to her than he was.

"Help! Someone!" Sakura cried frantically. She felt overwhelmingly frightened, and she didn't like that feeling one bit. She took a hard turn to the right in hopes of losing him in the night.

"It's useless to cry for help, girl. No one can save you but yourself!" Hiko said. Sakura's eyes widened when Hiko materialized directly in front of her, his arm swung towards her, and she saw the flash of the sword's arc as it raced towards her neck.

Hiko watched the girl's eyes glaze slightly and she disappeared before his eyes. He couldn't even sense her presence for that split second, before the fear gripped her again and he saw her running back the way she came. Hiko smiled, sheathed his sword, and stood his ground for a few moments, allowing her to run. He was right. She was very gifted.

Sakura was aware that she had moved out of the way of the sword path, but she wasn't sure how she had managed to do that. Her muscles reacted before her mind could comprehend what was going on.

Was it because she was a killer in her past? Stealth was needed for a manslayer like herself. Sakura shook her head hard and kept running. 'Don't think about it! It's not true!' her mind screamed.

"Run away, little girl, I will catch you." Hiko called from the darkness. He was intentionally provoking her as much as he could. If he could push her to the point of reacting without thinking, he could probably break her out of her mental block.

It was the only way he could describe what was wrong with the girl. He sensed she had a dark past, one she had forgotten somehow. She smelled of blood, old and new. Her life wasn't an easy one if she smelled like that. Something had happened to her to cause her to be the fearful women he was chasing. He knew she was a gifted swordsman simply because of when he had found her at the riverside; he saw how she had held her sword. She held it as if it were an extension of her body. Then her stench had invaded his senses, and he knew she had killed many people in her life.

The only way he could think to snap her out of her block, would be to scare her into action.

It was starting to work.

Sakura ran blindly through the forest again; her fear fueling her speed. She felt helpless, weak and terrified, and she hated every second of it because her gut told her she could and _should_ fight back.

Hiko appeared out of no where in front of her again. His dark eyes flashed and Sakura came up solid against him. The force of the collision sent her sprawling to the ground. Sakura looked up at him, her eyes full of fear.

"A mouse in my mouse trap." Hiko said. Sakura grabbed a fistful of dirt, leaves, and whatever was on the forest floor and flung it in his face. Hiko easily swatted it away only to see Sakura scrambling to her feet and running again.

"Help!" Sakura screamed as loud as her damaged throat could handle, which wasn't very loud. She knew it was futile, there was no one around.

'Fight back!' her head screamed.

Hiko watched her run again. He didn't have all night to chase her around the forest. He needed her to fight back so he could get back to his life. As interesting as it was to see her reactions, he was tiring of the activity.

Hiko unsheathed his sword and moved on swift silent feet in a large arc, to get in front of her as she ran through the forest. He positioned himself in the proper location, and when she ran by him, he lashed out his hand and grabbed her by the throat. Swinging her roughly around he slammed her against the hard wood of a huge tree trunk with a dull thud. The wind was momentarily knocked out of her and Hiko stepped forward, looming over her as he glared down at her.

Sakura's throat screamed in agony when he roughly grabbed her. She squeezed her eyes shut when she hit the tree and a few tears of pain and fear leaked out.

Hiko saw the tears and felt a pang of remorse. He was hurting a defenseless woman, one thing he thought he would never do. But he knew that somewhere within that fearful woman was a fighter and he intended to draw that fighter out, even if it meant he would have to rough her up a bit.

"I think it's time I teach you a lesson, little girl." Hiko sneered. Hiko saw Sakura's eyes fly open, and he could see they were glazed, like before.

Sakura's mind was wiped clean. Her entire world dropped away from her when she heard those words. They triggered something horrible and dark from her past, something she knew she never wanted to remember, but the words Hiko had uttered had caused a surge of memories to swarm into her mind.

_A tall man with dark hair, evil eyes, and wearing a blue haori had her pinned to a wall, and another man was tying her up._

_"I think we need to teach this little girl a lesson." The dark haired man had said._

_Three men, all without clothes. The rough tatami mat floor against her back. _

"NO!" Sakura screamed. One second Hiko had a fearful women in his grasp, the next he had no woman in his grasp.

Sakura ran through the forest, trying to escape her memories as they flowed freely into her head.

_Her childhood. _

She came to a dead stop, directly in front of her lay the discarded sword she had throw away just a short time before.

_Her slayings._

Hiko approached her from the right. She stood stock still, her eyes wide and empty. Silent tears flowed down her cheeks.

_Her rape._

Everything came flooding back all at once. Her life which had been a grey haze in her mind was back with horrible clarity. Her father who had forced her to kill. Four years of her life spent killing men in the most horrible of ways. The night her entire life changed when three Shinsengumi raped her. The battle at Toba Fushimi.

Hitokiri Battousai. Her brother.

Her entire life came screaming into her head. Her entire, horrible, nightmarish life.

Hiko took the opportunity that had been presented to him. Anytime she had that vacant look in her eyes, she would act on instinct alone. He swung his sword towards her.

Sakura felt the air being sliced. She acted, raising her hand and catching the blade, stopping its path dead just inches from her head.

Hiko watched her eyes swing towards his own. He couldn't see their colour in the darkness, but he could see their determination. Here was the fighter he was looking for.

"I should never be able to stop the blade of Hiko Seijiro." Sakura stated coldly.

"You remember, don't you?" Hiko asked, sheathing his blade. Realization dawned on her in an instant.

"You made me remember..." Sakura trailed off. The memory of her rape was so vivid she could almost feel the hands on her again. She felt dirty, used, and very angry.

"Stop being a coward and face reality. Stop running away from your past and live with it. It is your past. It is who you are." Hiko replied.

"You have no idea who I am." Sakura growled.

"I don't care who you are. Now get off my mountain." Hiko replied gruffly, turning away from Sakura and starting towards his hut. As far as he was concerned, he had done more than enough to help, and wanted to be left alone again. Hiko didn't hear her move, but he felt the blade of her sword slicing the air as it hurtled towards him.

Hiko put his hand on his sword, and drew it from its sheath.

The clash of swords was drowned out by the loud clap of thunder. A flash of lightening illuminated the forest for a moment to reveal Hiko and Sakura locked in a fight.

The skies opened up and in moments the two samurai were drenched.

-------------------------------

Kaoru sat in the dark room, wide awake, listening to the sounds of night around her. She could hear the rain falling outside; the silence was broken by a clap of thunder from time to time.

The room that was her temporary home was dark, all candles had been extinguished hours beforehand. Many of the girls had fallen asleep already. The breathing Kaoru could hear was sometimes punctuated with slight hiccups. Some of the girls were crying in their sleep.

The number of captives had increased to 8, including Misao and Kaoru. Midori was still there, she had settled with Misao, turning to the young ninja for strength and protection any time a man entered the room.

Not once had a man entered their room with any intentions other than supplying the girls with basic necessities. The only exception was the leader, whom Kaoru had learned was named Kosuke. He had only entered the room once, and that was to threaten Kaoru, and tell her that Sakura was dead.

Kaoru felt her heart constrict when she thought of Sakura. Kenshin's love. What would Kenshin do when he found out Sakura was dead? Would he cry? Would he close himself off?

Would he still try to save Kaoru?

With that through Kaoru violently shook her head, to clear her thoughts. As upset as Kenshin would be, he would never in his life ignore someone who needed help. He was completely incapable of ignoring someone in need. It was his nature to help where he could. He would still come for them. There was no doubt about that.

The Hiten Mitsurugi style was a sword that protects after all. And Kenshin had spent his lifetime upholding that belief with its various techniques. He had even been given a nickname for his specialty. The battoujutsu. A single swing of a sword and the end of a man's life.

Kaoru gasped. The battoujutsu!

"What's wrong?" Misao whispered from nearby. She was sitting up next to Midori's sleeping form trying to comfort the girl even in her sleep. Midori had been hysterically crying since Kyosuke had left the room. She was completely terrified, and it was her breathing that was continually interrupted by the hiccups of tears.

"Sakura-san! She used the battoujutsu!" Kaoru whispered frantically. Misao moved over to her friend's side.

Misao had been filled in, somewhat, about Sakura and who she was. Kaoru left out the part where she was Kenshin's long lost love. But she had told Misao that Sakura was from Kenshin's past, she had lost her memory recently, and she was important to Kenshin somehow.

"Why is that so important? You know how to deliver a battoujutsu don't you? Any practitioner of the swords does." Misao replied.

"It's not that. It was so fast. I couldn't see the blade at all. I saw her take position, and then I saw the blood. There are only two people who can use the battoujutsu that fast!" Kaoru said.

"Hiko Seijiro and Himura Kenshin." Misao finished.

"Exactly! Why would she know that move?" Kaoru wondered aloud. She started chewing on her lower lip in thought and worry. Who was that girl? Misao looked over at her friend. She could only make out Kaoru's silhouette in the dark room but she knew just from her tone and body language that there was something far more important about Sakura that Kaoru was leaving out.

"What aren't you telling me about Sakura?" Misao whispered. Kaoru froze slightly.

"N-nothing." Kaoru responded tentatively.

"Kaoru-san."

Kaoru hesitated. She needed to talk to someone about it, but she didn't want to be selfish. She and Misao were in a terrible situation and instead of having a 'girl talk' they should be trying to think of ways to get themselves and all the other girls out of that room and away from those men. It was ridiculous anyways! It wasn't the end of the world if Kenshin loved someone else. She had hoped that he would come to love her, but as long as he was happy, then so was Kaoru.

"Kenshin is in love with Sakura." Kaoru replied finally.

"What?" Misao asked, completely shocked.

"I heard him say it to her just before we were taken." Kaoru replied. "It's really my fault that I'm here and she's dead. I ran away when I heard him say it. I didn't know what else to do."

Misao didn't need to see, she knew Kaoru was crying. She hadn't cried since she first arrived, and this time it was great, wracking sobs that tore through her frame. Misao pulled her friend close in a hug and let Kaoru cry out her grief.

"She died because of me, Misao! She shouldn't have died like that!" Kaoru whispered between tears.

"You can't blame yourself, Kaoru. You didn't kill her; that man Kyosuke did!"

"She wouldn't have died if I didn't run away! I am such a child!"

"Kaoru." Misao whispered. She didn't know what to say to comfort her friend. It wasn't exactly a normal situation for either of them. Neither woman was used to being helpless.

Kaoru continued to cry her heart out over the loss of Kenshin to Sakura, and the loss of Sakura herself. She knew she should be thinking about more important things like getting out of there, but she couldn't stop thinking about Kenshin. The image of him gripping Sakura's shoulders and telling her he loved her was burned into Kaoru's mind forever. She had lost the only man she ever loved to another woman.

The sobs of another girl pierced Kaoru's hearing. She remembered the other girls in the room. Misao who had been struggling for so long to get her Aoshi-sama back into her life, the young Midori who had watched her grandfather get hurt by the samurai who kidnapped her, and the 5 other girls in the room who had been ripped from their everyday lives to be sold at auction.

Kaoru stopped crying. She was locked in a room, thinking only of herself and her lost love. Kaoru couldn't believe how selfish she was being! It didn't matter who you were, everyone had personal problems. But at that moment in time there was one problem that united the 8 women in that room. They were all kidnapping victims, and were about to be sold for profit.

Kaoru started to fume. As much as Kaoru didn't like Saito, she had been told by both her father and Kenshin that the Shinsengumi were honorable samurai who fought for what they believed in. How dare those men parade around in Shinsengumi uniforms and yet cause nothing but harm! They were not Shinsengumi, they were cowards, and Kaoru was going to prove that.

They were going to get out of that room, and get away from those men if it was the last thing they'd do.

Misao sensed a change in her friend. She had gone from being a complete wreck to suddenly stiff and... angry? Kaoru sat up suddenly and wiped tears away angrily.

"Are you okay?" Misao asked.

"No. I'm angry; at myself, and at those damn samurai on the other side of that door. We are getting out of here." Kaoru replied firmly.

-----------------------------------

Yahiko ran up the trail as fast as he could. His hakama and gi were soaked through, weighing him down. He didn't slow at all. He was grasping at straws by going to Hiko Seijiro. He was expecting to be thrown from the mountain with such a force that he'd land back at the Aoiya. Hiko wasn't one who liked to be disturbed.

But Yahiko had no choice. He needed help if he was going to get Kaoru back. And there was nothing that was going to stop him from getting her back.

Yahiko jumped over some fallen brush and continued on his way. He had left Kenshin behind at the Aoiya in anger. He had been crushed that Kenshin would drag his feet in a situation like this one. He wasn't stupid, Yahiko knew that there needed to be some reasoning before they charged in, but spending the entire day; moonrise to moonrise; talking about how to find the girls, was ridiculous.

It was time to take matters into his own hands, and Yahiko fully intended to do so.

He broke through the brush and came upon the clearing of Hiko's hut. Running towards the dark home, Yahiko hesitated only a fraction before he started to pound on the door. It was dark inside so he thought Hiko was asleep, and wouldn't take too kindly to someone pounding on his door at an ungodly hour.

"Hiko! Hiko Seijiro!" Yahiko yelled over the rain. There was another clap of thunder and very faintly, Yahiko hear what sounded like the clash of swords. He froze and listened intently.

Lightening illuminated the sky once more, followed immediately by another loud thunderclap. The rumble died away leaving only the sound of the rain. This time Yahiko heard it distinctly. Off to his right, from within the forest, he had heard the sound of metal on metal.

A sword fight.

Hiko.

Yahiko took off into the forest. He broke through the dense foliage and ran through the rain soaked forest straining to hear the swordfight over the rain, thunder, and the sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his ears.

He didn't know who Hiko was fighting, but he could certainly tell by the sounds of the swords clashing that it was an intense fight. He had only seen a few fights between Kenshin and an opponent when the swords made that much noise when they clashed.

The man fighting Hiko could be one of those Shinsengumi men!

With that thought, Yahiko ran even faster.

If Hiko was fighting against one of those samurai, then they may be one step closer to finding Kaoru!

Yahiko could hear the fight getting closer and closer. The noise was getting closer and closer. Yahiko burst through the plants, to come face to face with the fight. He saw two swords clash, and one small person get thrown back

Hiko stood tall, sword in hand, soaking wet, and staring down at his opponent. Yahiko was about to call out to the sword master when the other samurai stood up, spit out some blood, and took an offensive position.

Sakura.

She held the sword properly, she had her position perfect. Her once new kimono was tattered, torn, and ruined with mud and blood. Her long hair was down, dripping wet, and a mass of tangles.

Yahiko was completely floored. Not because Sakura was using a sword so well, no – his master was a woman, so seeing a female swordsman was nothing unusual to him. It was the fact that she was fighting against Hiko Seijiro that had him frozen in place with his jaw slack, staring in openmouthed shock.

Hiko knew the boy was watching them. He had sensed Yahiko long before he had arrived in the clearing. It didn't matter to Hiko why the boy was there, all that mattered was the woman before him. She had taken many unnecessary risks during their battle. At first he had resisted the fight, but her attacks were so quick and confident that soon Hiko had forgotten he was fighting a woman.

She was confident with a sword. She had her own unusual technique that complimented her body type perfectly. If he didn't know any better he would almost say she was faster that he was. Of course there was nothing faster than the Hiten Mitsurugi style.

There had been a moment in their fight where a wager had been made. If Sakura landed one hit on Hiko, then he would help her get the kidnapped girls back. But if Hiko beat Sakura then she was going to leave him alone.

Either option was okay with Hiko, really. He liked to be alone. But the thought that he could watch Sakura in action again intrigued him. She was impressively good for a woman.

Their fight had been going on for a while, and Sakura was visibly exhausting with each breath she took. He was indeed the better fighter of the two, but she desperately needed his help. The last move with be just that. Her last chance to strike him.

"Let's go." Sakura said.

Yahiko barely heard her say that when both samurai sprung into action. She disappeared right before his eyes! So did Hiko but that didn't surprise him in the least. Hiko was a master swordsman. Of course he could move that fast.

The entire scene was so incredibly fast that Yahiko couldn't see it. One second they were yards apart from each other, then next their swords were connecting with such a force that the rain was pushed away from the pair for a moment.

Sakura felt her strength waver and did the last thing she could think of.

Their blades separated, then Sakura's came rushing back towards Hiko's head. Flipping his blade, he brought his back to block her blow; then went on the offensive by swinging his sword towards her side knowing full well that she was in the position to block his blow. She would be unconscious soon enough; he just had to keep her fighting until then.

But she did something he didn't expect her to do, and could do nothing to prevent what followed.

She took one step closer and stepped directly into his blade.

Hiko couldn't stop fast enough. His blade connected with her side, and he could feel some of the bones snap in her ribs. She didn't stop there. Before Hiko could fully comprehend what she had done, her blade had made a clean, shallow cut right at his hair line above his left eye.

Hiko had won the fight... but Sakura had gotten what she needed.

Yahiko stood in silent horror as he watched Sakura drop her sword and collapse at Hiko's feet. Very slowly, and very carefully, Hiko reached up and touched the cut on his head. He could feel the warm blood that was slowly seeping from the wound. He brought his hand away and stared at the blood on his fingertips for a brief moment before it was washed away by the rain.

Hiko sheathed his sword in one fluid motion. Crouching, he scooped Sakura's inert form into his arms and turned towards Yahiko.

"Boy! Run ahead and start a fire!" Hiko ordered. Yahiko jumped into action and fled the clearing to do as ordered. "And get me my dry clothes!"

Hiko started to make his way towards his home. He grumbled the entire way at the stupidity of women. Particularly Sakura who seemed exceptionally stupid. The damn woman stepped into his blade! He could have sliced her in half! She could have been killed!

But she had managed to strike him. That was impressive.

Hiko arrived at the hut to see a small light coming from the inside. Kicking open the door he found the boy crouched on the floor blowing life into the small fire he had constructed.

"Is she okay?" Yahiko asked when Hiko entered the small room. Very gently, Hiko lay Sakura on the floor beside the fire and draped a small blanket over her unconscious form.

"I broke a couple of her ribs. Go get me some water, I need to clean some of her wounds." Hiko ordered.

Yahiko hesitated for a moment. Hiko wasn't being his normal gruff, selfish, mean old self. He was going to tend to her wounds.

"Why are you being so nice?" Yahiko blurted out before realizing it. Hiko stopped and looked over at the boy. He considered Yahiko for a moment, then dropped his gaze down at Sakura.

"You came here to get my help right?" Hiko asked. Yahiko nodded in response. "Well she won it for you. Now do as I say."

-------------------------------------

A.N Well, this chapter was pretty much all about Hiko and Sakura. It was also high time that we get Kaoru and Misao back into character and kicking some serious butt. I'm hoping to be a bit better when it comes to getting my chapters out, but I make no promises (as usual!) so please forgive me if I'm delayed on the next release. I'll try my hardest not to be.

As usual I thank everyone who has reviewed. I'm glad I'm getting such good positive feedback about this story! I know how hard it is to enjoy an already great assemblage of characters when there a new character added in, but hey it's only fanfiction right:D

Anyways, until next time! Thanks again!

Sakura-san


	12. The Past Returns ch11

Disclaimer: RK and all its characters are not mine. I merely borrowed them to tell my story.

A.N. Greetings! WOW! It's been a long time hasn't it? My bad. ; So yeah, here's the next chapter of my story. I hope you enjoy it!

For those of you who pay attention to Author's notes, just so you know. I have completed this story. It's just a matter of editing and posting :D YAY! So yeah, look forward to the complete story in the near future!

R&R!

Enjoy!

--------------------------

The Past Returns

Chapter 11

Yahiko returned in record time with a bucket full of water. The bucket had been on its side just outside Hiko's door when he went to look for it. The rain had not filled the bucket up, so Yahiko had grabbed it and run to the river as fast as his feet could go.

He felt a surge of joy when Hiko had said he was going to help. He had about 1000 questions to ask Sakura, but he didn't care about any of the answers. She was still there and she had won Hiko's help with her amazing swordsmanship.

Yahiko burst into the hut to see Sakura still in the same position, lying unconscious on the floor. Hiko had her kimono open to her waist and her upper body had been covered by a blanket. Her belly and a part of her ribcage were exposed to his eyes and he could see several small white lines that looked to be the old sword wounds. Her right side of her body was an ugly red, purple colour and Hiko was prodding it gently with his fingers.

Yahiko placed the bucket of water next to Hiko and sat back next to the small fire. Hiko dipped a scrap of cloth into the water and wiped some of the blood off his own face. His small cut was stinging as a constant reminder that she had been an idiot. Hiko straightened grabbed the bucket and, to Yahiko's great surprise, threw the entire contents over Sakura's face.

"Wake up!" Hiko ordered. Sakura sputtered and her eyes slowly opened. She rolled over on her side to clear the excess water from her face, and mouth. Taking shallow breaths, she turned her eyes back up to Hiko.

"That hurt." Sakura muttered, pulling herself up to a sitting position. She winced and grabbed her side.

"I'd say it hurt. I broke three of your ribs." Hiko snorted. He moved to a small storage chest and pulled out a clean, white yukata. "Here, change into this."

Sakura took the garment and Hiko turned his back to her. Yahiko immediately mimicked him and turned his back as well. Sakura pulled the ties of her obi and it slid off easily. She stood up, allowing the blanket to drop to the floor and tried to pull on the clean yukata. Her side screamed in pain as she moved, and before she fully realized she couldn't dress herself, Hiko had turned back around and pulled the yukata on, tying the sash tightly around her waist.

Words weren't needed; Sakura could see in his eyes that he was sorry. Although she could also see he would never say it out loud.

"That needs to be tended to properly." Hiko said, indicating her side. Sakura nodded. A silence fell over the small hut. Hiko watched Sakura and her eyes grew distant. She was remembering her past again, and it was something horrible, he could see it in her pale face.

Sakura was remembering something from her past. She was recalling the time when she had killed her father. She had felt relief when it had happened, however as she aged, she started to feel remorse. She now stood regretting it to her very core.

She wasn't sure why she was thinking of her father, but since she had regained her memories just a short while ago, different moments in her life had come back into her head, and the feelings that went with them. The last few hours had been nothing but emotional turmoil for her, and she was exhausted from it.

"Uhm."

The small voice called Sakura's attention behind her. She turned to see Yahiko standing there looking uncertain. She forgot her troubles in an instant and remembered why she was standing in Hiko Seijiro's hut, with three broken ribs. Sakura reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Yahiko's shoulder.

"Yahiko, bring me to Kenshin." Sakura said.

-----------------------

Saito had left the Aoiya several hours beforehand. He went to check in with the police to see if there were any new developments and said he would return at daybreak. They would devise a plan of attack based on the news Saito brought, if any at all. Upon Saito's departure, Aoshi, Okina, and Kenshin had retired to their separate rooms for some much needed sleep.

Kenshin opened his eyes and stared at the tatami mat floor of his room. There were two futons folded up and laying at the side of the room. Kenshin had not rolled one out to sleep. Instead he had leaned against the wall and propped his sword against his shoulder. He had closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep, but Sakura's scream echoed through his mind every time.

He had tried to sleep for the last while. Yahiko had been gone for almost 5 hours, Kaoru and Sakura for 1 day, and Misao for several days. Worry for all of his friends knotted Kenshin's brow and stomach. His grip around the piece of blue ribbon in his hand had increased. Giving up totally, Kenshin got to his feet and left his room.

Kenshin made his way down the hall towards the stairs. He just needed to get some air. The roof was his destination but he found himself stopped outside Aoshi's door. He hesitated only a moment then slid the door open. Aoshi sat with his back to the door, he was facing the sword alter. Knowing that Aoshi wasn't deep in meditation, Kenshin entered the room, slid the door closed and knelt down next to the silent man.

He came face to face with his old sword, which still rested on the sword alter.

The two men sat in silence for some time. The only sound was their steady breathing.

"Aoshi, where did you get that sword?" Kenshin asked, breaking the silence.

"I found it in the clearing where Misao went missing. I understand you have an interest in it?" Aoshi asked. Kenshin wasn't surprised at the question. He had been seen by Shirojo when he first laid eyes on the old katana. It had visibly shaken him to see it once again, and something that could affect hitokiri Battousai like that was worth talking about.

"I wouldn't say interest." Kenshin said. It was more of a connection but he wasn't about to tell Aoshi that. But the question remained in his head. How did his old sword from the revolution end up in that clearing in perfect condition? He last saw it when he left it alone, embedded it into the ground after the battle at Toba Fushimi.

It was like a bolt of lightening had struck him when the pieces fell together in his head. The last one who stood by his sword wasn't Kenshin himself, but Sakura! She must have taken it!

"What was the clearing like? Describe it for me again." Kenshin asked. Aoshi's eyes opened and he turned to the red head beside him. He had briefly described the state of the clearing to Kenshin back in Tokyo. But he complied with the request of the samurai.

"It was a wreck. There was a large hole in the ground in the centre, and a burnt smell in the air. It was an explosion of some sort." Aoshi said.

"And you found that sword in the clearing. Was it in the rubble?" Kenshin asked.

"Yes."

"What else was there?"

"Some kunai from Misao, rope, bloody bandages, and that scrap of uniform I showed you. Everything else was rubble from the blast." Aoshi responded.

"Do you still have those bandages?" Kenshin asked. Aoshi leaned forward and pulled out a small chest from beside the swords. Opening the chest he pulled out a few kunai, the scrap of uniform, and a neat pile of yellow-ish bandages with drops of blood spattered on them. They were old and well worn bandages, the same kind Kaoru would use to wrap herself before practicing swords.

The kind Sakura used to disguise her gender for her entire adult life.

Realization hit Kenshin like a bolt of lightening as he picked up the bloody bandages.

Sakura had been in that clearing. The explosion had injured her, causing the knock to her head that had wiped her memory clean.

Aoshi watched Kenshin handle the bloody bandages with great care. Obviously they meant something to Kenshin. Of course there were a lot of things that meant something to Kenshin; Kaoru's blue ribbon, the old sword on the alter, the mysterious Sakura. He had been meaning to speak with Kenshin ever since Sakura arrived on the scene.

Before Kaoru had gone missing Aoshi had asked Shirojo to research the hitokiri Battousai and the people he knew in the revolution. Shirojo had returned with the information, what little there was, and Aoshi had formed his own theory about Sakura. It was time to find out if he was right.

"Kenshin, was Sakura a hitokiri during the revolution?" Aoshi asked.

It was a question that Kenshin had expected someone to ask him ever since he had discovered Sakura's secret 12 years before hand. It was also a question he promised he would never answer.

Before Kenshin could speak, the shoji door slid open once more and a voice answered the question for them.

"Yes, she was."

Kenshin whirled around at the voice. He knew the sound of Hiko Seijiro's voice, but he wasn't expecting what he saw. Neither was Aoshi.

Yahiko stood just inside the door frame, he was soaking wet and covered in splatters of mud. Behind him the huge frame of Hiko Seijiro took up the rest of the door. But there was a third person standing between the big man, and the young boy.

Sakura.

"I was a hitokiri in the revolution." Sakura replied.

-------------------

Kaoru sat with her back against the wall opposite the door to their room. There were two Shinsengumi samurai guarding the door while a third and fourth were bringing in breakfast for the women they had captured.

They were well fed by the Shinsengumi while in captivity.

Misao was close to the door, with Midori pressed close to her side. The younger girl had her face buried in Misao's shoulder while Misao appeared to be ignoring her. Kaoru's eyes were on the two samurai placing the trays of food on the floor. Misao's eyes were glued to the samurai outside the door standing guard, as well as the outside of the room.

Just beyond the guard, Misao could see a long hallway extending into the depths of the house. Since their room was windowless and there was only one door into and out of the room, it was hard to tell where in the house they were. Misao was guessing two of their walls were shared by the exterior if the house. Their only way in, or out of the room would be through the door guarded by two samurai at any given time. The problem was the door was bolted shut, and only opened when it was time to give food to the captive women. That doubled the guard.

Their only option was to attempt to escape during a meal time. However Misao could tell that of all the prisoners, she and Kaoru were the only ones with any sort of defense training.

The samurai were well trained, but if they were caught off guard, Misao and Kaoru could probably take out two guards each and escape. But the challenge wasn't just the glorified doormen. It was the entire squad of samurai that awaited beyond the door. Getting through them with 6 girls in tow would be the challenge.

The guards left the 8 meal trays and closed the door. Kaoru heard the bolts get thrown and turned to Misao.

"Well?"

"We can get through those dingbats easily enough. But it's the rest of the squad I'm worried about." Misao replied. Kaoru nodded in agreement.

"Yes. I wish I knew how many were out there. I also wish I had my boken." Kaoru mumbled. Out of habit Kaoru bit her thumbnail as she thought.

"Let's wait for lunch, we'll scout again to see what we can do, then we'll make an escape at supper. I don't want to stay here for one more night." Misao said, moving towards the trays and taking one for herself.

"Are you planning something?" one of the girls asked. She had arrived the previous night along with two others. Kaoru glanced over at Misao and Misao nodded.

"We're getting out of here. Tonight." Kaoru replied.

"All of us?" came another voice.

"All of us." Misao replied. "I'm not sitting here anymore feeling sorry for myself. I will not stay here any more!"

"But... we can't!" a small voice whispered. Midori stood up, staring down at the other girls with tears forming in her eyes. "They're men! Much stronger than us! If... if you try something... They'll kill us all! I won't let you! NO!"

By that time, Midori's voice had escalated to a shriek so terrible that a couple of girls covered their ears. Kaoru made a reach for her, but she stepped away.

"NO! Stay away from me! I don't want to die! You'll get me killed! I just want to..." but her statement was cut short when Misao hit her at the base of her neck, and Midori slumped over in a faint. But the damage had been done. The other 7 girls were aware of that when they heard the bolts get thrown again and the door was flung open.

The last person that Kaoru wanted to see stood framed in the doorway, flanked by the two samurai guards.

Kyosuke surveyed the room, his eyes taking in the 8 untouched meals, the 7 sets of eyes staring at him, and the unconscious girl on the floor at Misao's feet. His eyes stopped on Midori, then traveled up Misao to lock eyes with her.

Misao noted he was not wearing the uniform of a Shinsengumi, rather he was clothed in a black yukata, with his sword grasped firmly in his hand. Kyosuke entered the room, his eyes never leaving Misao's. She kept her gaze on him, not flinching, not moving. He stopped just in front of her, Midori was at his feet.

"What happened to Midori, Misao?" Kyosuke asked. He reached out his free hand to touch Misao, but she slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me, you filth."

"Filth? No. The filth is you. Women are filth." Kyosuke sneered. Kaoru noted the bitterness in his voice when he spat out the work 'women'. "Take Kamiya Kaoru-san for example."

Kaoru froze. Over the duration of her stay, Kyosuke demonstrated the ability of his squad to gather information. He knew everything about every girl in the room, all except Kaoru. He had known nothing of her... until now. Kyosuke turned his eyes to Kaoru and smirked at her expression.

"It took much longer than normal to find something about you, Kaoru-san. It is hard to gather information about someone who lives so far away. It is also hard to gather information about the residents of the Kamiya dojo; especially that Himura Kenshin... or rather, the Battousai." Kyosuke turned to face Kaoru. He took two steps towards her and grabbed her by the chin. "You seem to attract strong men, Kaoru-san. Zanza the street fighter, the Battousai, the list goes on, does it not? Tell me – were you a whore for all of them, or are you Battousai's whore exclusively?"

"I am no whore." Kaoru growled.

"All women are whores! No exception!" Kyosuke shouted, throwing Kaoru aside in disgust. Kaoru caught herself before falling to the floor. She refused to show any weakness in front of that man.

Kyosuke was angry. Very angry. This Kamiya Kaoru caused him confusion. He wanted her. In the way a man wanted a woman. But he swore long ago that he would never lust for a woman. They were put on the earth to seduce and confuse man. They clouded a man's judgment. He had seen that first hand. All women were the same. No exceptions. He would not be seduced by the whore before him.

"Battousai may have been seduced by you. But I will not. I will use you to my advantage. His judgment will be clouded when he comes to rescue his woman. I will kill him then." Kyosuke said.

"I am not Kenshin's woman. You already killed her! You will not face a clouded Battousai. You will face an angry Kenshin, and he is stronger than anything you ever imagined." Kaoru retorted in disgust. Kyosuke turned to her, enraged, and lashed out to hit her. Kaoru reacted, grabbed his wrist and attempted to defend herself, only to feel his blade against her neck cutting the sensitive skin.

"I already killed her, did I? Who?" Kyosuke asked in a deadly tone.

"Sakura! You killed her! SHE was Kenshin's!" Kaoru exclaimed, not budging from her position. Kyosuke pressed the blade a little harder against her neck, cutting her ever so slightly deeper. It wasn't enough to kill her, but it was enough to make her bleed. Kaoru winced at the pain, and Kyosuke removed the blade, allowing the blood to flow down her neck.

"Women are weak." Kyosuke sneered. He wiped the small amount of Kaoru's blood from his blade, and re-sheathed it. Kaoru put her hand to her neck and felt the blood. She pulled her hand away to see her hand with her own blood on it. She locked eyes with Kyosuke who stood glaring at her. She returned his glare with her own before he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. The door was slammed shut and the bolts thrown.

Kaoru sank to her knees, suddenly feeling very tired. Misao rushed to her side, ripping her kimono in the process. The young ninja was saying something, but Kaoru didn't quite know what it was. She was thinking about Kyosuke. The rage in his eyes was frightening. But the way he looked at her made her even more nervous than his rage did.

There was an evil within that man.

"Kaoru-san!" Misao's frantic voice broke through Kaoru's thoughts. Blinking, Kaoru looked up at Misao's face hovering over her own. She felt the bandage around her neck, then noticed the torn portion of Misao's kimono.

"We're getting out of here. Tonight." Kaoru said firmly to Misao. "Any objections?" Turning, she looked at each of the other girls who surrounded her. Not one disagreed.

"What about her?" one asked, indicating Midori.

"She won't be left behind, but if she becomes hysterical again, she will be unconscious while we escape." Kaoru replied. The determination and anger in her blue eyes had everyone agreeing with her once again.

"Kaoru-san."

"Misao, we need weapons. Anything we can use to defend ourselves. If we need to fashion some from what we have here, we need to do it fast. Plan now. We'll start making them after the afternoon tea is served. We'll use the dinner serving as our escape." Kaoru ordered. Misao nodded and turned her eyes to the room to start planning.

"The rest of you, we'll need things in case of emergency. Bandages, water, anything else you can think of. We may be out there for a few days so we need to be able to take whatever we think will be useful to survive as we try to find our way back to Kyoto." Kaoru said to the other girls. They all nodded and started on their job. Kaoru stood and went over to Midori's unconscious form. Kneeling down she shook the young girl gently until her eyes fluttered open.

Midori's first sight was a disheveled Kaoru with a bloody bandage wrapped around her neck and the neckline of her kimono covered in drying blood. Fear gripped her heart and she sat up straight. She was about to say something when her eyes locked onto Kaoru's. The words died in her mouth.

"Listen Midori. We're getting out of here tonight and you are coming with us. Now you have two choices. You can walk out of here, defending yourself, with your own power. Or we will knock you out again and carry you. Choose." Kaoru said firmly.

Midori could only stare at Kaoru. This was a different sort of woman to Midori. She wasn't used to the strength she could feel coming from Kaoru. She never encountered a woman who would stand up to oppression without fear, and fight back. But she found herself surrounded by them.

"I'll walk out of here." Midori replied with a shaking voice. Kaoru smiled and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay to be scared, but you can't let fear run your life." Kaoru said softly. Midori nodded in response and Kaoru stood up to help Misao.

"I can't let fear run my life." Midori whispered to herself.

--------------------------------------

Sakura was badly beaten. Kenshin had seen her in various states of injury, but never has it been so apparent to him. There had been a lot of damage done to her face. One eye was black and swollen. Her lip was split, and she had a long thin cut across her right cheek. But that was just her face. She was breathing strangely, and she moved a little slower than normal.

Sakura had felt better in her life. She probably shouldn't have walked from Hiko's to the Aoiya like she had. She was in a tremendous amount of pain, to the point where she was seeing dark spots in her vision. And to top it all off, her broken ribs were causing her a great amount of difficulty whenever she tried to breathe.

They had left Aoshi's room and were traveling down the stairs to the front greeting room. Sakura was in front of Kenshin, and behind Aoshi. They were followed by Yahiko, Hiko, and Okina whom they had awoken shortly beforehand. Sakura seemed to be struggling with going down stairs.

"Sakura?" Kenshin said worriedly. She faltered slightly, and stumbled. Kenshin watched as she started to fall down the stairs. He reached for her, but Aoshi turned when he heard her stumble. Sakura fell against him and Aoshi caught her gently in his arms.

"She needs a doctor." Okina said. Kenshin rushed to Aoshi's side who still stood with Sakura in his arms.

"Yahiko! Run to Ginji-sensei's home and bring him here!" Kenshin requested.

"No! I'm fine. No doctors. There's no time." Sakura said, pushing away from Aoshi. Yahiko hesitated, looking over at Kenshin.

"What happened to you?" Aoshi asked as he helped Sakura steady herself.

"I was beaten by a Shinsengumi samurai, and then... I fell over some waterfalls. Seijiro over there rescued me." Sakura muttered. She didn't want anyone to know the extent of her injuries. Most especially Kenshin. He would become extremely overprotective.

"Seijiro! Who said you could call me by my given name. It's Hiko-sama to you, girl!" Hiko ordered. He noted the absence of their fight and kept his mouth shut. She had her reasons, her injuries were her own business and his baka-deshi was obviously concerned for her welfare. Hiko could certainly vouch for her ability to protect herself.

"HA! I'll call you that when I respect you, Seijiro!" Sakura retorted.

"You don't respect me now?" Hiko replied.

"HEY!" Yahiko exclaimed, causing both man and woman to shut up. Kenshin stood dumbfounded at the exchange between his sister and his master. He was even more surprised that Yahiko had managed to make them stop. "There are more important things than your petty arguments! Save them for when we're done rescuing Kaoru and Misao!"

With that, Yahiko stormed past the group and headed for the sitting room. He had made it three paces when the main entrance doors were slid open and Saito stood in the frame. A half smoked cigarette dangled from his mouth and a cloud of smoke hung over his head. The morning sun was starting to peak over the horizon, bathing Saito in a soft morning glow. It was odd to see.

"I leave for a few hours and miss all the excitement." Saito said. He threw the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it to douse the ember. His eyes moved over the group of people and fell on the slight girl that stood in the midst of the men. He entered the Aoiya and approached the girl. He knew her somehow.

Kenshin stood feeling some unease. The first time he had come face to face with Saito after the revolution had resulted in Battousai emerging and a fight that nearly ended up with a life taken in the middle of the Kamiya dojo. What would Sakura's reaction be? Kenshin's eyes turned to his sister beside him.

Sakura remained rooted in her place. The last person she expected to see was Saito Hajime, former captain of the 3rd squad of Shinsengumi. She had crossed swords with him during the Bakumatsu so many years ago.

"I know you." Saito said. Sakura merely blinked up at him. "You smell like blood."

"With the exception of the boy, everyone in this area smells like blood." Sakura replied.

"You smell like fresh blood." Saito remarked.

"Are you looking for a confession? Because if you are then you got one; I killed that Shinsengumi in the alley the other night." Sakura said. Saito snorted.

"I don't care who killed that coward. He and the rest of his comrades are sullying the name Shinsengumi." Saito said.

"I agree. Which is why we need to stop them." Kenshin interrupted. "Do you have any news for us Saito?"

"Some. I can tell you there is a mole in the police working for this group of samurai. We have yet to find out who it is, however." Saito replied.

"It doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting those girls back before they are sold." Okina said.

"Easier to say than it is to do, old man. We still don't know where they are." Saito replied.

"I know where they are."

All eyes turned back to Sakura again. She met everyone's gaze evenly.

"If we leave soon, we can get there before sundown."

* * *

A.N. Well, here's the next chapter. Once again I had a hard time writing this one. I mean, I have the next few chapters worked out in my head, however it's hard to get it out in the right way. I did a lot of editing in this chapter compared to others out there. It's surprising how often I re-wrote the entire part with Kaoru and Misao. Hehehe ;;;

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and I don't think this is perfect. However if you loyal and wonderful readers still enjoy it that's more than enough for me. Until the next chapter:)

Sakura-san


	13. The Past Returns ch12

Disclaimer: RK and it's characters are not mine, I merely borrowed them for my tale.

A.N. Hello. It's Chapter 12 time! We're getting some good action in this chapter! The next couple will be all about action. I like action. I'm a sucker for action movies. I get a lot of my ideas from action movies. Hehehe. I hope those movie people don't mind if I borrow stuff from them to spice my fanfic up. Anyways…

R&R!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 12

Tea had come and gone. Kaoru and Misao were busy fashioning weapons for their escape while the other girls were gathering everything they could think of to bring.

They had very limited resources at their disposal to get some weapons. The wash basin had been firmly attached to its low stand, however they had managed to break it free. The edges of the wash stand were torn off and strips of Misao's silk kimono had been attached to one end of each stick to form a pair of nun-chucks. They weren't very sturdy, but they would work for one hit, which would be enough to knock out a guard or two.

Kaoru had removed the short legs from the stand as well in hopes of using the small top as some sort of weapon or shield. The biggest gamble would be on their martial arts training. Misao and Kaoru would rely on that heavily when they took on the four guards. If they could knock the samurai out, they could grab any weapons those men had and use them.

"This is a big risk we're taking." Misao stated quietly. Kaoru only nodded in response. Since talking with Midori in the morning, Kaoru had been silent for much of the day.

"Are we going to make it?" Misao asked. Kaoru stopped what she was doing at Misao's tone. Looking over, Kaoru could see in Misao's eyes exactly what she was feeling herself. Doubt.

"We have to." Kaoru replied. Misao nodded in agreement and looked towards the other girls.

Each and every one of them looked happier, brighter, and livelier than they had at any other point during their captivity. When planning to escape came into light they had brightened up immediately. Misao smiled at them.

"If not for us, then for them. They need to get out as much as we do." Misao said softly indicating the other girls.

"They have people waiting for them too." Kaoru replied.

Misao smiled softly at the thought of seeing Aoshi again. Her anger at him was long forgotten. However she was still going to give him a piece of her mind. After all, she couldn't let him get away totally free from her wrath.

Kaoru worried at her lower lip when she thought of the people waiting for her. Did Kenshin know that Sakura was dead? Or was he on his way to the rescue, expecting to find her here with Kaoru? If he didn't know, how would he react when he found out?

Kaoru breathed deeply.

She didn't want to see his reaction, but she loved him enough to tell the truth and bear with the consequences. When she saw him, she would tell him.

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Sakura knelt on the floor of Aoshi's room. Next to her was a pile of clean clothes, a gi and hakama – both black in colour. In front of her was her sword. She had been provided the clothes so that she could join them in the rescue.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura stripped the yukata off and picked up the fresh set of bandages provided. Taking care, she attended to her broken ribs realigning them and wrapping them tightly with the bandage. The pain had either dulled, or she had grown accustomed to it, either way she was moving a little easier then before.

She then proceeded to wrap her entire upper body tightly with the remaining bandages. She pulled on the gi and hakama that was given to her. She finished the ties of her hakama and picked up her sword.

The weight of it in her hands felt familiar. Grasping the hilt, she pulled the sword from its sheath in silence. The steel gleamed at her, and she could see her eyes in the blades reflection. Memories flooded into her mind of lives that had been taken by the sword when it was wielded by Himura Battousai, and the lives that had been saved by the sword when it was wielded by Sakura. The latter outweighed the former.

Sakura had used the sword far longer than Kenshin had. She had saved countless lives with it, and not taken one. The sword remained free from the stain of blood since the battle at Toba Fushimi.

Her hands had not.

In the midst of her recollections, there was a knock.

"Come in." Sakura called. The door slid open to reveal Aoshi.

Aoshi had come to collect his swords. He had taken his ninja uniform to another room and left his room to Sakura. They had finally started to take action; Yahiko, Hiko, Kenshin and Saito were waiting for Aoshi and Sakura. Okina had sent out messages to his contacts throughout the city – he was gathering the family members of all the kidnapped girls at the Aoiya to await the return of the victims.

When Aoshi slid the door open, he was greeted with a sight he never thought possible. The frail, broken woman he had known since he laid eyes on her was gone. Before him stood the hitokiri that had taken many lives during the revolution. Sakura stood with the sheath in one hand, and the sword in the other. She glanced over at Aoshi who stood in the doorframe.

"Are we ready?" she asked as she placed the sheath between the ties of her hakama. Aoshi merely nodded and watched as she habitually flicked her blade, as if clearing it of blood, and sheathed it in one fluid motion.

She was taking that sword and holding it as if it were her own. However Kenshin seemed affiliated with it somehow. Aoshi knew there was a story behind the sword that connected Kenshin and Sakura, but he also knew that he would not learn the story for some time.

Forgetting about it for the time being, Aoshi crossed the room and collected his swords. Sakura noticed he had a small bag on his back. He grabbed a few kunai and put them in the bag as well.

"Extras just in case?" she asked.

"No. This is for Misao when we find her. She was wearing a kimono when I last saw her and she would probably fight much better in her uniform." Aoshi replied, indicating the bag. He opened it and showed Sakura the blue of the Oniwabanshu ninja uniform.

Aoshi slung the bag back over his head and onto his back. He turned and left the room with Sakura trailing behind him. They made their way down the stairs and were greeted by Kenshin, Saito, Hiko and Yahiko all standing in wait at the main door. Yahiko had his shinai on his back, and a boken in the ties at his waist.

"For Kaoru?" Aoshi asked, indicating the boken. Yahiko merely nodded.

"You." Saito said as he stared at Sakura before him. He did know her. He had crossed swords with the swordsman before him on a few occasions. The hitokiri, Hideki. Saito sighed, wishing he had a cigarette. "I never thought Katsura was a big enough coward to hide behind women."

"He wasn't. I lied to him." Sakura replied, defending her leader.

Saito narrowed his eyes at her slightly. He could see the determination in them. The defiance. The strength. Woman or not, she had earned his respect during the revolution, and respect was not easily lost by a samurai once it was earned.

Kenshin watched Sakura who stood with her sword at her waist. He could see the bandages up to her neck that masked her gender and felt as if he was transported back to the revolution.

There was clarity in her eyes that hadn't been there for days. Kenshin knew that she was just fine, and ready to fight. He smiled at her, relief coursing through his body that she was back in his life, and back to normal.

"Lead the way." Kenshin said.

The six people left the Aoiya after sunrise to start their journey to the place where Kaoru and Misao were being held. It would take some time to get there, since Sakura had to start from the river where she had bee found by Hiko, but she believed they would be there by the afternoon.

They just prayed they were in time.

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Kyosuke sat in his private room meditating. He had been there since he left the prison room and that Kamiya girl. The auction was in another 24 hours, and they only had 8 girls. They needed another 4 to make a decent profit.

But he was going to lose the first 8. At least, that's what his captives thought.

He was aware of their plan to escape during dinner. He was no fool. He wanted to toy with them for a while, especially that Kamiya girl. He would toy with her since she toyed with him. The bitch.

Standing, Kyosuke splashed cold water on his face to refresh himself. He stretched and turned to his sword stand. Beside it was the neatly folded Shinsengumi haori and bandana. Kyosuke smiled at it.

He was the commander of the greatest squad of samurai to ever exist. If his predecessors from the revolution could see what he had accomplished, he knew that they would be honored and proud of what he'd accomplished.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts; turning he watched the door slid open and one of his subordinates enter with his dinner. The young man placed the tray on the floor and bowed to his leader.

"Inform the retriever teams I will be joining the hunt tonight." Kyosuke stated. He wanted to be in his full uniform when he trapped the blue-eyed girl once again.

"Yes sir." The man replied. Bowing once more, he left the room. Kyosuke turned back to his sword and put a hand over his cut cheek. The injury was still stinging from when Battousai's girl had hurt him.

That bitch.

Smiling again he relished in the memory of her death. He could remember the look of shock on her face when she lost her footing and tumbled into the raging river. His last view of her was her small body going over the waterfall.

"Battousai's woman, was she? I'll make sure I inform him of his loss." Kyosuke smirked. He planned on finding the legendary swordsman after he put those girls back in their place. He turned, and started to dress for the hunt.

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The afternoon sun was peaking its way through the foliage of the thick forest that Kenshin and the others were walking through. Sakura knew they were drawing closer to their final destination when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Turning, she looked up at Aoshi who had halted her in her tracks.

"We are definitely close." Aoshi said softly, inclining his head to the forest floor. At Sakura's feet, where she was about to step, was a very thin wire. Following the wire, Aoshi revealed the trap that had been set. Had someone stepped on the wire, they may have not escaped the barrage of kunai that would have flown from all directions from the ground.

Aoshi dismantled the trap quickly, removing all the kunai, and headed back for the group.

"This is the fourth trap I've found. Take these, they may come in useful." He said as he handed the kunai to the others. Saito and Hiko ignored the offered kunai and Aoshi didn't press the matter. He was glad to have extras, just in case.

Almost everyone present had been aware of the traps, at least the first three. The fourth had been missed by everyone except Aoshi. Yahiko, with his lack of training to hone his observation skills, had been unaware of all the traps they had passed.

"Traps by samurai?" Yahiko exclaimed. To him, a true samurai always fought face to face with their enemy, and never deceived their enemy by setting traps.

"Idiot." Saito replied, pulling out a cigarette. Yahiko glared up at the wolf of Mibu and turned away. Saito lit his cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Shinsengumi samurai do not set traps with kunai. This squad must have ninja"

"That's right." Kenshin said nodding. "Several squads in the revolution had their own ninja to act as spies or extra protection."

"They were never easy to kill, simply because they were never easy to see." Sakura commented. "They hid in the shadows, only moved when they had continuous cover. They were adept at spying and martial arts. That was why Choshu had to hire their own ninja to counterattack Shinsengumi ninja."

"So what do we do now?" Yahiko asked.

"We move out in pairs. Ninja set perimeters around the area they are to protect. We will head straight for the house in succession. The first pair will take out the traps and the ninja. The second pair will take out the samurai. The third pair will enter the house and get the girls." Aoshi said.

"I'm going in the house." Yahiko said firmly. He was going to help as best he could. He knew he would be no match for ninja and kami-sama only knew how many samurai would guard the place. In the house where they were in closed quarters he had a better chance with one on one fights.

"Yahiko." Kenshin said. He knew he couldn't talk him out of it, and the young samurai was extraordinarily strong for his age. But that didn't stop Kenshin from feeling apprehensive.

"Yes, Yahiko you would be best suited in the house. You are needed there." Aoshi replied.

"Fine. Sakura will be with me." Kenshin stated.

"Sakura will be with me." Aoshi interrupted. "I need a samurai. We will be the first pair. Kenshin and Saito, you will be the second pair. You have the most experience with Shinsengumi tactics and fighting style. Hiko will go into the house with Yahiko."

At the mention of ninja, Aoshi had assumed his position of a ninja leader, and taken control of the situation. As brilliant as all the swordsmen were in his company, Aoshi was indeed the best problem solver amidst the group.

He was a ninja. He thought like a ninja and fought like a ninja. He was their best defense and offense against any ninja the enemy had in their midst.

"We move fast. We don't stop. Ninja like to take their fight to places where no one would suspect an attack." Aoshi said, looking up to the canopy of trees above their heads. His eyes then swung down to Sakura. "Can you jump?"

"Yes." Sakura replied. Aoshi nodded and turned to the other four.

"Move fast. The faster you run the better chance you will have against any other trap set. If you're not fast enough on your feet, you'll have to be fast enough with your swords." Aoshi said.

No one argued. Not even Hiko who didn't like to take orders from anyone. Everyone knew a good plan when they heard one, and a sensible dispersion of strength. Aoshi was a brilliant man behind the silent exterior.

"Let's go." Sakura said, and then leapt into the air. Aoshi followed her, while the three men and Yahiko broke into a run.

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Dinner time drew nearer. The women inside the small room we ready for their escape. Kaoru and Misao stood flanking the single doorway, waiting for the opportunity to deliver the first attack. There were two of the women sitting on the floor in front of the door, and the other four were dispersed around the room, looking as if they were still scared captives.

"Are you ready?" Kaoru whispered to the room. All the women nodded in response, the look of fear was evident in their eyes. Kaoru looked over at Misao for reassurance. As confident as Kaoru was, she was still scared. If this didn't work, they were going to be killed... or worse, sold off like wares.

The sounds of footsteps were heard outside the door. Kaoru gripped the tray firmly in her hands, waiting for the door to open. For a brief second, her whole world came to a stand still.

What would happen to the people in her life if she fails? Would Yahiko continue in his sword study? Who would have her family's dojo? Who would carry on her family's sword style? Sano was long gone, Megumi had returned to Aizu. Who would take care of the two most important men in Kaoru's life?

Who would tell Kenshin about Sakura?

Better yet, why the hell hadn't she told Kenshin how she felt? She was a grown woman! She was going to get out of this place, and tell him exactly what she feels for him. Sakura or not, Kaoru was in love with that stupid red-head, and she wasn't ready to die just yet, she had things to say!

Her resolve reaffirmed, Kaoru gripped the tray even tighter. The door swung open, two samurai entered with trays, and Kaoru swung with all her might

The tray she held connected firmly with the head of the samurai closest to her. At the same time, Misao's hand shot out, connecting firmly with the other man's throat. A coughing wheeze escaped the man before he collapsed, unconscious. The 8 trays of food the men had carried hit the floor with a loud crash; all the food and drink spilled everywhere.

Kaoru made a grab for the sword of her unconscious samurai and felt her fingers close over the sheath. The samurai that stood guard at the door entered the room when they heard the commotion. They began to draw their swords to bring the women back under control, but the two women who had been sitting in front of the door leapt to their feet. They used one of the blankets they had been given to throw over the two men.

It was ineffective really, since the blanket was sliced off in seconds. It was enough though, when the men could see again, there was the sight of a foot rushing towards them when Misao delivered her patented kick, sending one samurai flying backwards. She whirled around and backhanded the other samurai across the face. He staggered back a step, but recovered quickly. He returned the blow with one of his own, catching Misao in the face and sending her to the ground. An explosion of pain blinded Misao for a moment, and the coppery taste of blood flooded her mouth from her split lip.

Kaoru had a sword in her hand, the blade flipped, and as the man backhanded Misao to the floor, Kaoru attacked him. The dull side of the blade connected with his temple, knocking him unconscious.

The whole altercation lasted a few seconds, but Kaoru, Misao, and the other two women had successfully beaten 4 of those samurai.

"Let's go." Kaoru said, not hesitating as she sheathed the sword in her possession and headed out the door. She was followed by the other 6 women, and Misao took up the rear.

They found themselves at the end of a long hallway. There was nothing on the walls, and no windows whatsoever. It was not an ideal place to be when they were trying to escape. There was only one way out and that could be guarded. Kaoru forged on, however. Getting out of the room was easier than she thought, feeling empowered, she kept going.

At the end of the first hallway, Kaoru paused, and inched her way out to glance around the corner.

Another empty hallway.

Motioning to the women behind her, Kaoru started around the corner. This time, the hallway had a door at the far end, on the right side of the wall. A possible way out!

Being careful, Kaoru and the others tiptoed along in a single line, hugging the wall as they went. Misao snaked her way to the front of the line to stand next to Kaoru.

"It's a little quiet, don't you think?" Misao whispered. Kaoru nodded in response. It was quiet. There wasn't a soul in sight. Proceeding cautiously, the women continued down the hallway. They were about half way down the hall when the sounds of soft thumps were heard overhead. A moment later, there were muffled blasts overhead.

"Everyone get down!" Misao yelled, just as the ceiling above exploded, collapsing down around them.

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Yahiko had lost sight of Kenshin and Saito seconds after the group had split up. He had tried his best to keep up, but at present he was being carried by Hiko as the large man raced through the forest. Yahiko knew that Hiko could move fast. But it never ceased to amaze him how a man of Hiko's size could be so fast.

Kenshin and Saito continued on their breakneck pace through the forest, they constantly found themselves setting off traps and blocking the flying kunai, or slicing through nets, there was one instance when they had to cut through huge tree trunks. They were getting closer because the frequency of the traps was getting higher.

"I thought there would have been more guards." Saito commented. Kenshin was about to agree when from above, there were flashes of blue and three samurai dropped from the trees.

Sakura and Aoshi were high above the other four, and further ahead of them. They too had their share of traps, and they had also come across a few ninja. They had been individual in their attacks, and easily fought off by Aoshi. Leaping from tree to tree, Aoshi and Sakura were covering a lot of ground when suddenly they broke through the thick foliage and found themselves bathed in the light of the late afternoon sun.

They found themselves standing on a tile roof. In the clearing before them was a complete home, with a stand alone training dojo, and living quarters. Aoshi and Sakura found themselves standing on the roof of the living quarters. To their left was a single building, with an enclosed hallway attaching it to the rest of the home. Aside from the pathway between the residence and the dojo, the entire place was surrounded by the huge trees of the forest.

"This is it." Sakura whispered.

The sound of a hiss behind them had both Aoshi and Sakura turning back towards the thick forest. High in the tree stood a Shinsengumi ninja. He smirked and released the dynamite he held in his hand.

"Dynamite!" Aoshi exclaimed just as it exploded above their heads. Sakura threw up her arms to block the bright light and heard the sound of something hitting the roof at her feet. Looking down she saw another stick of dynamite with a fuse that was almost out. The only option was to jump.

The explosion threw both Sakura and Aoshi backwards as the roof collapsed into the residence and onto the 8 women.

Misao waited for the cave in to end, then stood up and looked over at Kaoru and the other girls. They were all in one piece, save for a few bloody scratches on arms where they had protected themselves. She looked up at the opening in the roof and knew that she could get out. They could all get out!

"We'll go this way!" Misao exclaimed. She leapt up through the opening and landed on the edge of the wall.

She had barely gained her footing when a kunai sailed directly past her and grazed her left cheek. Misao's eyes flew up to several men dressed in what could only be the black uniform of a ninja. Misao's first thought was to draw their attention away from the other 7 women, so she leapt into the trees and started to flee.

Sakura and Aoshi had hit the ground hard, the debris of the explosion rained down around them. They both looked up in time to see the bright colours of a kimono fly overhead and into the trees.

"The girl from the clearing!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Misao!" Aoshi called at the same time.

The pair looked at each other in surprise. Shadows crossed overhead and they looked up in time to see 5 ninja take off into the trees after Misao. They didn't hesitate when the leapt to their feet and followed the 5 men and Misao.

Yahiko and Hiko found themselves standing in front of a large wall. They stood there for a moment when an explosion to their left caused the ground to tremble underneath them. Yahiko looked to the left and saw only trees. There were no windows or doors on the wall in front of them.

"We'll have to go around and find a way in." Yahiko said. Hiko merely snorted. Drawing his sword in one swift motion, Hiko cut through the wall in front of him. It crumbled to pieces, leaving a perfect square entrance for them.

"Boy, when you've reached the level of skill that I currently enjoy, walls will mean nothing to you." Hiko stated, sheathing his sword and entering into the house. Yahiko followed immediately.

They found themselves in a bedroom. The interior was that of a traditional Japanese home with tatami mats on the floor and 10 futons stacked neatly to one side. Yahiko went immediately to the door and slid it open.

Kaoru and the other girls were making their way down the hallway. They had witnessed the kunai slicing Misao's cheek, and the 5 men had leapt over the opening of the ceiling as they chased Misao. Kaoru knew that Misao had fled so they had a fighting chance to escape. She still worried about her friend alone against 5 men.

The women had made it down the length of the hallway when the shouji door they were heading towards slid open. Kaoru reacted on instinct alone, and swung the sword with all her might towards the opening.

Yahiko saw the blade heading straight for him and froze in place. The blade struck flesh, and blood sprayed from the wound.

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A.N. I'm such a sucker for cliffhangers! MUAHAHAHA! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again I found myself editing and editing and editing this and I still have problems with it, but I strive on!

I hope you liked it!

Until next time.

Sakura-san.


	14. The Past Returns ch13

Disclaimer: RK and it's characters are not mine, I merely borrowed them for my tale.

A.N. Whee! Chapter 13! This one came out of me in less than a day. See? Told you that once I got through the other stuff I would take less time to get the chapters out. I've already started on Chapter 14... well it's in my head so it won't be a problem. Anyways, I won't ramble anymore.

R&R!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 13

For the first time in Kaoru's life, she felt the sickening sensation of her blade slicing flesh. She didn't know that it could be felt all the way up the sword and through the hilt. She didn't know it felt like it was her own flesh being cut. Until that moment.

Her heart clenched and lodged itself in her throat. She had cut someone with her sword. Possibly killed someone with it.

"You handle a sword quite well. But it's obvious this is the first you've ever held a real sword." A gruff voice said. Kaoru recognized it immediately. Her eyes flew open, since she had squeezed them shut tightly when she had swung the sword, and they landed on Hiko Seijiro. Standing before him was Yahiko.

"Oi! You almost took my head off, Ugly!" Yahiko cried out. The blade of the sword was stopped mere inches from Yahiko's neck. The stopping force had been Hiko's hand. When the blade came towards the boy, Hiko sensed it immediately and grabbed a firm hold of it with his bare hand to bring it to a stop before the kid was killed.

Yahiko had been relieved the second he saw Kaoru. He had made a silent promise to be nicer to her when they found her, but had momentarily forgotten that promise when she tried to take his head off. He tensed, waiting for the attack that usually came after he called her 'ugly'.

Kaoru allowed the sword to slip from her fingers, where it clattered to the floor. She immediately reached out and pulled Yahiko to her in a tight hug. Relief coursed through her whole being. She couldn't have been happier to see Yahiko in her whole life.

"I'm so glad to see you, little brother." Kaoru whispered in his hair. Yahiko felt his throat close and his eyes burn with tears. They had argued since the second they laid eyes on each other. But she was his entire life. She was his protector, his teacher, and his family. The fact that she voiced similar feelings had him hugging her in return.

"Look, this is all nice and everything. But we need to get out of here." Hiko said. Kaoru released Yahiko to see Hiko struggling to wrap his hand. Kaoru stepped around Yahiko and grabbed the bandages from Hiko. Quickly and efficiently, she wrapped the bandages around the open wound, and tied it tightly.

"You have experience with this." Hiko stated. Kaoru merely looked up at him.

"I live with your baka-deshi." Kaoru replied. That had Hiko smiling. At the end of all this, if Kenshin didn't marry this girl then Hiko was going to pound his idiot apprentice.

"Let's go." Kaoru said, turning to the other girls who still stood in the hall, gazing up at Hiko with visible apprehension and fear in their eyes. Hiko looked down at the young woman before him. She had grown in the year since he had last seen her. She had a maturity to her that had him forgetting she was over two decades younger than he was.

She motioned all the women into the room and out through the wall. The second her feet hit the ground she felt free.

"We have to be cautious. There are traps, ninja, and samurai around. We move quickly." Hiko ordered. His size and appearance were startling to the women who didn't know him. But the fact of the matter was Hiko was their savior. If it meant they would get back home to their families, then they would listen without hesitation.

Of course because of his size and appearance, they would listen without hesitation regardless.

"Where's Misao?" Yahiko asked as he jumped down out of the room and onto the forest floor.

"She's gone. There was an explosion and we tried to escape out of the hole but she was attacked so she ran away." Kaoru replied.

"Attacked by what?" Hiko asked immediately. It was his responsibility to get all the women, not all but one.

"Ninja. They chased her into the forest." Kaoru replied extending her arm in the direction Misao had fled.

"I'll leave these girls under your protection. Get them back to the river. I'm going to find Misao and we'll catch up." Hiko said to Yahiko and Kaoru. They both nodded and Hiko disappeared before them, taking to the trees as he went looking for the final girl.

"He left us! We need him!" Midori cried.

Yahiko looked over at the young girl. She was around his age, and his height. She had a terrified look on her face as she watched the empty trees surrounding them. Exhaling sharply, Yahiko untied the boken he had strapped to his back and held it out to Kaoru.

"We don't need him. We're going to get out of this alive. Don't worry. Kaoru and I will protect you." Yahiko replied. Kaoru smiled down at Yahiko as she took hold of her boken. She was very proud of her student at that moment. He had grown so much, and she could see in his eyes just how determined he was. It wasn't the first time she had seen that look, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.

It was Kenshin's look. The look Kenshin had in his eyes when he was fighting with every ounce of his being to protect those around him.

"Now let's go." Yahiko announced, and started off into the forest. Kaoru stood in place, waiting for all the others to start following Yahiko. Midori hesitated slightly and Kaoru gave her a nod of reassurance. Following the women, Kaoru took up the rear of the group, to protect them from attacks. Taking a deep breath, Kaoru set off into the forest.

She knew that if Yahiko was here, then Kenshin wasn't too far away. She would see him soon and she would tell him about Sakura.

He wasn't far away. In fact, Kenshin was standing about 100 yards away, next to Saito, and facing 3 Shinsengumi samurai. Saito glanced at the three men, and drew a cigarette out of his pocket. Lighting it, he sucked in a deep draw and exhaled the smoke. At the rate he was smoking, he was going to run out of cigarettes before they got back to Kyoto.

Damn.

"Three? Seems a little unfair." Saito grumbled.

"Don't worry; we'll go easy on you. We'll kill you quickly." One samurai said to the pair.

"I don't have time for this." Kenshin said evenly. "Three of you come at me at once."

"Three on one? Seems a little unfair." Another replied, drawing his sword, sneering out Saito's previous statement. Saito exhaled smoke again.

"It is unfair." Saito replied. He heard the flick of Kenshin unsheathing his blade slightly with his thumb. "For you."

Saito's words ended at the same instant Kenshin sprung into action. The three Shinsengumi were obviously ill equipped in both training and experience to take on Kenshin. The red head covered the ground between them in seconds, knocking out the samurai who had unsheathed his sword earlier by unsheathing his sakabatou and knocking him in the chin with his hilt. The samurai flew backwards and landed on the ground, unconscious.

Kenshin swung around, bringing his sword with him. The second samurai had begun to draw his sword out, barely clearing its sheath when Kenshin's sword slipped between the gap of the sword and sheath and slammed the reverse edge into the man's side. Kenshin felt the cracking of bones through his sword and brought his elbow up to connect with the man's face. More bones cracked, blood spurted from the Shinsengumi's broken nose, and the man collapsed, unconscious.

The third and final samurai was momentarily shocked when the first of his comrades was knocked out by the smaller man. He reacted at the same time his second comrade drew his sword. Swinging his sword around he sent it straight for Kenshin's head. It didn't go unnoticed, and Kenshin ducked out of the way, then spun on the ball of his foot.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu – Ryushosen!" Kenshin cried, springing up and connected his sword with his enemy's chin. The force of the impact sent the man flying. It was only a moment or two, but Kenshin had taken out three of the Shinsengumi.

In the span of one inhale and exhale, Saito watched Kenshin defeat the three samurai.

"Not much of a Shinsengumi squad. They are sullying our good name." Saito snorted, throwing his butt to the ground and stepping on it.

"I agree." Kenshin said as he re-sheathed his sword. It was then that he noticed his hair was down. The leather strip Kenshin always used to keep his hair tied back was in pieces on the ground. It was well worn, and had snapped because of the speed Kenshin had just moved. Saito glanced over at the samurai, then back to Kenshin. Out of the five men in the clearing, Kenshin was the only one with long hair. No hope of another piece of leather to tie his hair back.

"Are you planning to wander around here looking like a girl? They might try to kidnap you too." Saito snickered indicating the three unconscious men. Kenshin glared over his shoulder at Saito. That man could be so infuriating at times.

Yahiko had a feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't quite sure how to describe it, but it wasn't a pleasant one. He knew something was wrong when the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood straight. He whirled around, to face the women following him and opened his mouth to call out to Kaoru. His instinct was right, because Kaoru saw his reaction in time to whirl around herself and found herself face to face with Kyosuke.

Yahiko didn't know who the man was by Kaoru, and he didn't care. He acted in adrenaline alone and sprung into action. He had his shinai gripped firmly in his hands and was blocking a blow from another samurai who attacked from the side. The women screamed and started to run in all directions.

In mere moments, 5 of the 6 women were gone. Midori was rooted in place, fear frozen in her face as she stared at the shinai and sword that were inches from her face. Yahiko placed himself between the frightened girl and the samurai, and glanced over at Kaoru.

Kaoru had acted immediately and brought her boken around to attack the man who had caused her much terror over the last two days. She felt much more confident since she had her feet on the ground and her boken in hand. She felt much less fear when faced with Kyosuke as well.

Kyosuke caught the wooden sword in his hand and smiled down at Kaoru. She was breathtaking to him. There was a fire in her eyes that drew him towards her. Her silky black hair flowed like a waterfall down her back. When she whirled around he could see her soft neck for a split second. Even the scratches on her face, her split lip, and the bandages around her neck were erotic to him. They were marks left by him. Marks that he felt claimed her as his own.

"Now now, more damage to you and you won't sell for much. Then again, if you don't sell, then I could have you all to myself." Kyosuke said. Kaoru was horrified at his statement. He wanted her for himself? She felt sick to her stomach. She didn't see his fist until it plowed into her face. She was thrown to the side by the force of the impact, but kept a firm grip on her boken.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko cried. He saw her get hit and fall to the ground. His stomach clenched in rage and he fought back against the man who was insisting on attacking Midori. The man wasn't even trying! He was a diversion only so that Kyosuke could get to Kaoru.

Yahiko grit his teeth and stepped away from the man, ending the stalemate they had continued. The man brought his sword high over his head to strike Yahiko down, but the boy was faster and he stepped forward, jabbing the man in the gut with the tip of his shinai. There was a grunt and the man doubled over. Yahiko stepped back, then forward again, bringing his sword down on the man's shoulder, at the pressure point that causes unconsciousness. He slumped over and fell to the ground. Yahiko rounded to see that Midori had run away, and Kyosuke was towering over Kaoru.

He took one step towards the pair when another blade streaked out from the thick forest and nicked his neck. Yahiko reacted in time to save his own life by jumping backward and saw another samurai coming from the forest. He stopped for a moment. He knew they were surrounded by samurai. Those women were being hunted one by one. And there was nothing he could do for any of them.

Kenshin and Saito stood next to the three unconscious men when they could hear the screams of several women. Turning towards the source, Kenshin and Saito left the area in search of them.

Between the trees, they could see a flash of colour. It was unmistakably yellow. Possibly a kimono. Kenshin and Saito came face to face with two women, girls really, who were absolutely terrified. Behind them were several samurai giving chase. There were no words spoken between the men, they simply attacked.

The girls saw two men coming towards them. One had bright red hair and a cross shaped scar on his cheek. Seeing them caused both women to freeze in their place. The two men coming towards them passed right by and attacked the samurai that have been chasing them. In seconds the three were unconscious and the red head was back to their side.

"Are you okay?" Kenshin asked, resheathing his sword. The girls nodded.

"Kaoru!" a voice cried. Yahiko's voice. Kenshin turned towards the sound, fear gripping his heart.

"Go." Saito ordered. Kenshin turned back to him. "I'll take care of them. Go!" Kenshin hesitated only a moment before he was running again. Running towards Yahiko.

Towards Kaoru.

Kaoru was momentarily stunned when she felt his fist slam into her face. She recovered quickly and scrambled back to her feet. Kyosuke smiled at her, and looked over at the kid she was with. He had managed to knock out one of his samurai, and was currently locked in a fight with another. He frowned. The fact that a kid had managed to knock out a Shinsengumi was unforgivable. He would properly punish his man once the women were back in their proper places.

Kaoru used the opportunity Kyosuke had presented to her. With his head turned, he let his guard down and Kaoru gripped her boken tightly.

She swung the sword around and it connected with his temple, causing Kyosuke to falter and hit the ground hard.

"Don't let your guard down!" Kaoru cried to her student, then turned and ran. Yahiko could take care of himself, she knew that. She left him in order to protect herself, and him. As long as they were together then he would continually be attacked. She didn't want that.

Her thoughts were cut off when she tripped over a wire and fell. The next moment kunai were flying everywhere. One sliced her leg, and another imbedded itself in the ground next to her head. Kaoru scrambled to her feet and ran again. She took two steps and realized her boken was still on the forest floor. She didn't have a moment to get it back. She needed to get away from Kyosuke and all the other samurai.

She could hear the footsteps of samurai as they made their way through the forest, looking for her and all the other escapees. She had to stay ahead of them. She was alone and unarmed, she needed to find a weapon. She continued to run further from her boken, knowing that she couldn't go back that way.

Glancing over her shoulder, Kaoru could see the flashes of blue as samurai followed her. It was probably Kyosuke. She wished with all her might that she could get up high in the trees like Misao. At least then she'd have a fighting chance.

Kaoru came up solid against something hard. Hands lashed out and grabbed her, hauling her close to a body. The next moment she was airborne. She opened her eyes and saw black. She found herself in the arms of a masked man. A ninja.

"Kyosuke-sama wishes to see you." The man said. Kaoru struggled in his embrace; her feet barely grazed the tree branches as the man carried her back the way she came.

"Well I don't want to see him!" Kaoru cried. Resorting to the lowest blow possible, Kaoru brought her knee up between the man's legs. He grunted and she felt his hold on her weaken. She took the opportunity, struggled more and managed to free herself. Lucky for her she fell very shortly and slammed against a thick branch. She gripped the branch and hoisted herself to stand on it. Looking upwards she saw the ninja pull out a stick and light the end of it.

To Kaoru, it looked like a firecracker, only larger. If it was a firecracker then it exploded, and if it was bigger than a firecracker, then it would have a bigger bang. She had no where to run. The ninja dropped the stick and Kaoru braced herself for the explosion. She had no clue how powerful it would be until it exploded overhead. The force sent her flying. Falling more like it. Before she fell she saw the ninja light another stick and throw it towards her. The next explosion was closer.

There was a third explosion just as a pair of arms grabbed her and stopped her fall. She found herself standing on a branch, her back pressed into the thick trunk of the tree and a man with both hands on either side of her head stood pressed against her, keeping her held captive.

Kaoru fought back. She couldn't see much except dark spots in her vision. There was a ringing in her ears that was giving her a headache, and the wound on her lip had reopened causing her to taste blood in her mouth. Firm hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, just once.

"Kaoru!" someone shouted. Kaoru froze. The shout sounded far away, but she knew the voice. She blinked a few times and her vision cleared to find herself staring into concerned amethyst eyes.

"Kenshin."

It was her. Kaoru. His Kaoru. She was in bad shape. There were scratches on her face, dried blood on her kimono collar, and blood spotted bandages wrapped around her neck. Her hair was down, and tangled and her lip was cut and bleeding. Her kimono was torn and bloody around her left thigh. Her blue eyes welled up with tears when her vision cleared and she saw Kenshin standing before her.

It was him. Kenshin. Her Kenshin. She didn't hesitate and threw her arms around him, hugging him close. Kenshin stiffened slightly at the sudden movement, but he was too relieved to have her back in front of him he took the opportunity to bring her close to him in a hug. She was alive, a little worse for wear, but she was alive and that's what mattered.

Kaoru cried in his arms. Relief wasn't the word to use to describe her feelings at that moment. She was every positive emotion she could think of, and more. It was Kenshin. She was with Kenshin again. Her feelings of euphoria were replaced with dread. She made a promise and she intended to keep it. Pushing away from Kenshin, she wiped her tears away.

"Kenshin, its Sakura." Kaoru said. Kenshin froze. The look on Kaoru's face was not a good one.

"What about her?" Kenshin asked.

"She's dead." Kaoru blurted out. Kenshin felt dread wash over him. Kaoru continued, her words coming out rapidly and tearful. "They took us, and she killed a man. When we got here he took her away and I never saw her again. He told me he had killed her, oh Kenshin I'm sorry I couldn't protect her! She died and I'm so sorry!"

Kenshin's dread changed to relief. He silenced Kaoru with a hand and then proceeded to rip off a piece of his gi from his sleeve. Using the scrap of fabric he gently dabbed at the cut of Kaoru's lip, cleaning it as best he could.

"Sakura is not dead. I can't explain anything else right now, but I will soon I promise. She's around here, helping us get you back." Kenshin said softly. Kaoru was silent. For the first time since she laid eyes on him a short while ago, she really looked at him. He had referred to himself as "I" several times in that last statement. Something Kaoru picked up on immediately.

He was different somehow. Worry was etched in his face, but with every passing moment it was easing away. He smiled slightly down at Kaoru as she scrutinized him. He was different, and it dawned on her how.

"Your hair." She said softly.

When his leather strip broke, he was left with hair all the way down his back, getting in his way. He had nothing to tie it back with, so he took out the kunai Aoshi had given him and cut it short. His red hair was now to his chin, the same length as the hair he could never get into his ponytail. And there were three samurai unconscious in the middle of the forest with a pile of red hair next to them.

To Kaoru, he looked older now. Still no where near his actual age, but he seemed to look older, and defiantly more masculine. Now he looked like a man, rather than a boy... or girl.

"We need to go. We have to catch up with the others and get out of here." Kenshin said. Kaoru nodded in agreement. "I believe this is yours."

With that Kenshin produced Kaoru's boken from the ties at his waist. It had been next to his own sword. She took it gratefully and smiled at him again.

"Thank you." Kaoru said. Kenshin smiled and took a step closer to her. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he hauled her against him. Before Kaoru had a chance to be nervous Kenshin stepped off the branch. They fell to the forest floor below them and Kaoru felt no fear as the ground rushed up to meet them. Kenshin alighted on another branch, and another until they landed on the ground in one piece. He released her and stepped back.

"Let's go get Yahiko." Kenshin said. Kaoru nodded and started back the way she came.

Yahiko wasn't too far from the pair, but he was up to his eyes in samurai. He was completely surrounded by 4 men. They all wore the blue haori of Shinsengumi and they all wielded swords. Yahiko's only option was defense, he had no opportunity for offence. When one finished an attack, another started. Yahiko knew when he was being played with, and he knew he was going to have to get serious.

A risk was needed to be taken. Yahiko knew it. He braced himself. Ready for the next attack. The next opportunity.

It came, swift and deadly. The blade rushed towards Yahiko's head. He was ready. Shifting his weight, Yahiko stepped towards the blade and reached out. The blade sliced his cheek and cut his hand open when he grabbed it by the base, near the hilt. He flipped the shinai and rammed the hilt into the samurai's throat.

The man coughed blood before his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped over. Yahiko straightened, still holding his shinai, as well as the other sword. The three men stood stock still, shock registering in their faces at how bold the boy had been. Then rage gripped them and the three attacked at once.

Silence fell on the group.

Yahiko stood with his hands crossed over his head, a single blade caught between them. Another blade was driven into the ground by a wooden sword, and the final blade was sliding against a sakabatou.

Kaoru stepped backward, releasing the sword she had pinned to the ground. She stepped forward with a simple thrust and caught the man in the wrist with her boken. His sword fell from his grasp and she delivered a knock out blow to his head. Kenshin brought his sheath out from his belt and knocked the third samurai across the face with it. Blood and teeth flew out of his mouth and the man fell to the ground.

Yahiko slid his hands down the blade until his hilt connected with the guard of his opponents sword, throwing his weight behind his sword, Yahiko pushed the sword back far enough so that he could force his own sword up and hit the man with his shinai's hilt, directly on the chin.

It was the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu secret technique. One he had not mastered quite yet, but he got better with it each time he used it in battle.

"Where the hell have you been!" Yahiko cried out, rounding on Kenshin and Kaoru. "I've been fighting for my life here and you ran away! Lucky for you I'm such a great swordsman or else I'd have been dead by now!"

"Listen you ungrateful little twerp, we just saved you! And it's thanks to my training that you can even hold a sword!" Kaoru exclaimed, slapping him on the head. Yahiko felt the ground shake under his feet at the same instance Kaoru gave him the slap. The three of them froze.

The ground was shaking, and there was a loud rumble coming from nearby.

"That happened a little while ago too, near the house." Yahiko commented. "Then there were those three blasts really close by. What's going on?"

"Dynamite." Kenshin responded. "It's an explosive they're using. Very destructive." Kenshin looked up into the mid-afternoon sky. The sky was darkening, not from the setting sun, but from the billow of black smoke that was forming. Worry creased his brow again. Everyone was still out there. Had anyone been in that explosion? Where was Misao? Sakura? Hiko? The women?

"We'll only find out if we go." Kaoru said, coming up behind Kenshin. He nodded his head, and started towards the explosion, with Kaoru and Yahiko following close behind.

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A.N. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It's fun getting into the nitty gritty of the fights I have planned. Yes…. Fights. :) I went with the K&K reunion like I did cuz I didn't want to make it too unbelievable, you know? I mean I've already got him acting OC a little and I didn't want to go overboard with it. I like Kenshin the way he was originally written. So I'm trying to keep him that way as best I can.

Anyways, for you Aoshi/Misao fans they're reunion is next chapter.

I hope the jumping from character to character wasn't too confusing for anyone. I separated each jump with a break so hopefully it won't be too bad. The next chapter will be similar so if there's too much of a problem with it then I'll do my best to ensure the next chapter is better. :)

Sakura-san


	15. The Past Returns ch14

Disclaimer: Kenshin does not belong to me one bit. I wish it did. But it does not. I merely borrowed the characters for my tale.

A.N. Okay, I will warn you, there is some light OC on the part of Aoshi here. Nothing too major I hope, because Aoshi is fundamentally the unreadable ninja-man that he is. Hehe… Aoshi rules.

This is the next chapter of my fic.

R&R!

Enjoy!

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The Past Returns Chapter 14

Misao fled the scene of the house the second she registered there were several ninja chasing her. She had no clue there were ninja present until she felt the kunai slice her cheek. Absently she wiped her offended cheek with the sleeve of her kimono. Pulling her arm away she glanced down at the sleeve to see a nice smear of blood on it.

She jumped from branch to branch, running deeper into the forest, and further from the house. She thought she heard her name called, but brushed it off. There was no one around outside, aside from her captors, who knew her name. It must have been one of them who had called out to her.

Sakura and Aoshi were following the ninja as best they could. As ninja normally do, they scattered the second they were in the safety of the trees. There was better cover in the thick forest. Aoshi had his sight on one of the ninja, and followed him quickly and stealthily. Sakura was keeping pace with the seasoned ninja, and keeping just as quiet as she moved from tree to tree. She was tiring quickly and with every breath she took she was sharply reminded that she had three broken ribs.

"You know the girl in the clearing." Sakura stated as they continued on their way.

"Yes. She's Misao, my subordinate." Aoshi replied. Sakura glanced over at her companion at his statement. Subordinate, yes. But Misao was more to him then he let on.

Aoshi stopped on a branch, Sakura landed next to him as he uttered a curse under his breath.

"What?" Sakura whispered. But he didn't reply.

Scanning the trees Aoshi looked for any sign of the ninja he had been pursuing. The mention of Misao had brought about the sharp relief he had felt when he laid eyes on her soaring above their heads and into the trees. She was definitely inhibited in her movements because of her kimono. However she had some mobility since it seemed the traditional garment had been hauled up a little higher, the obi had appeared a little looser, and the flaps were spread wide exposing Misao's legs up to her thighs when she had made the leap from the roof to the trees.

It had only taken a fraction of a second of visibility for Aoshi to pick up on those details. It came with his years of training as a ninja.

His focus changed instantly when the hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention.

Aoshi didn't think, only reacted. He lashed out one hand behind Sakura and grabbed a kunai out of the air. A fraction of a second later he lashed out the other hand in front of Sakura to grab another kunai out of the air. Aoshi closed his arms together, hauling Sakura close to himself as he leapt off the branch and sent them plummeting towards the ground. The same instant they vacated the branch, several kunai embedded themselves in the exact location Sakura had been standing.

"They know you're not ninja." Aoshi said. He regained his footing and released her. Sakura nodded in agreement. They did know so they attacked her first.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something when she heard the rustling of branches to her right. A flash of blue caught her eye as her focus landed on Misao. Aoshi saw her at the same instant and smiled softly to himself.

Without hesitation, Aoshi and Sakura took to the trees again as they chased after Misao.

"They view me as a weak link." Sakura said between branches.

"Yes. Ninja know body language better than anyone and yours says you're injured and easy to take out." Aoshi stated matter-of-factly. Sakura winced at his statement. It was true, but she had hoped she covered up her injury better as she moved.

Apparently not.

"We'll round them up." Sakura said, pulling her kunai out of her sleeve. Aoshi nodded, Sakura's plan formed in his head. Using the kunai, they could try to deflect the ninja into one area.

"Ninja are unpredictable. It would be hard to get all of them into one area." Aoshi replied.

"They're following one target, right? Aim for the target." Sakura stated. Aoshi almost came to a halt.

"Aim for Misao!" Aoshi exclaimed. He was being irrational and he knew it. Aiming for Misao would be the best idea. Forcing one person to move they way you wanted was much easier than forcing at least 5. Of course there could be many more ninja than 5. There could even be some samurai. Giving a sigh Aoshi pulled out a kunai.

Misao continued to evade her pursuers as she snaked in and out of the trees. She was smaller and faster then they were, however her kimono was hampering her as she flew from dense branch to dense branch. It snagged on branches a lot, and it was getting torn to shreds.

A kunai embedded itself into the tree right above her head. She shifted her body weight and went in the opposite direction the kunai had come from. Before she had a chance to alight on another branch, a second kunai flew out of the trees and landed inches from her feet. She turned again and kept going.

They were trying to trap her.

Sakura raced through the trees, keeping Misao in her sight as the younger girl tried to escape the barrage of kunai's she and Aoshi were throwing. Aoshi was on the other side of Misao throwing kunais and hating every blade that was released from his hands. Last thing he expected to do was attack Misao when he was trying to protect her.

However, Sakura's plan was working. Misao was being steered to their desired location.

Sakura threw her last kunai and landed on another branch. Aoshi was left to finish the job and get Misao out of there. Sakura's relief was momentary. The branch she landed on snapped under her feet the second she put her weight on it. One moment she was upright, 20 feet in the air, the next she was falling. Her yelp of surprise echoed across the forest to Aoshi's ears. He turned and saw the small woman falling from the tree, with nothing to stop her fall but the ground.

"Sakura!" he shouted.

"Keep going!" she yelled back.

Misao froze. She heard a woman's cry, and a man's shout. The man's voice was unmistakable. She turned towards the source of the voices when she was met with a burning stick flying towards her face.

Dynamite!

"Shit!" Misao cried. A kunai streaked across the air and embedded the stick of dynamite into the tree just before it exploded. Branches, twigs, and debris rained down on Misao as the force of the explosion sent her careening towards the ground much faster than she could stop.

Aoshi changed his position from where he had thrown the kunai and launched himself at the falling Misao. He grabbed her close and twisted his body.

"Aoshi-sama!" Misao exclaimed.

"Hang on!"

They were falling too fast and he couldn't stop. The speed at which they fell caused the branches to become blades as they tore Aoshi's clothes. Lashing out, Aoshi tried to slow their fall by grabbing at the rapidly passing branches. He succeeded somewhat but they couple still fell straight to the ground, landing hard.

Aoshi grunted as the air rushed from his lungs. Misao may be a small girl but the speed at which she landed on him made her heavier than usual.

Misao was jarred by the impact, but nothing serious. Aoshi had taken the brunt of the injuries. He had willingly taken the landing to protect Misao. He could see her appearance and she was already injured enough.

"Aoshi-sama! Are you okay?" Misao exclaimed, sitting up.

Aoshi was flat on his back with Misao sitting directly on his stomach. He opened his eyes to look up into her worried face. He was relieved to have her back, but his face betrayed no emotion. Aoshi grabbed Misao's shoulders and sat up, sliding her off his stomach and onto his lap. He kept her small shoulders in his grasp as he locked his eyes with hers.

"I'm fine, Misao." Aoshi said softly. Misao's eyes welled up with tears. The tension from her escape evaporated in a heartbeat as she stared at Aoshi. Unable to stop herself, Misao leaned forward and put her forehead against Aoshi's shoulder.

When she was a child, she had often sought comfort when she was in pain or scared. She had always gone to Hannya to seek that comfort. Aoshi could remember her as a little girl cuddled in Hannya's lap. Her favorite position was to put her forehead on his shoulder and wrap her arms around his neck.

Some things never changed.

Aoshi didn't pull her in his arms. He didn't move. He left his hands on her shoulders and he could feel them shake slightly as she cried.

"I'm sorry, Aoshi-sama." Misao finally whispered into his neck. Aoshi finally moved when he heard her apology. Pushing her away from him, he forced her to look into his eyes again.

"You don't need to apologize. I do. I'm sorry, Misao. I failed to protect you." He said softly. Misao continued to cry, but being the open person she was, she didn't bother to hide her tears. Aoshi reached up and brushed away one of her tears. "Don't cry. Everything will be okay. I promise."

Misao nodded in response.

The silence that surrounded them was shattered when three explosions in the distance brought them back to reality. She and Aoshi looked towards the direction the sound came from. They were still in the middle of the forest, surrounded by countless enemies, and they had no comrades in sight.

Aoshi moved immediately. Gently, he removed Misao from his lap and stood up, bringing her with him. She watched as he pulled the sack off his back and handed it over to her.

"This is your uniform. I thought you could use it." Aoshi said simply, then turned his back to her so she could change. Misao opened the sack and peered inside. Her uniform was indeed in the sack, along with several leather holders full of kunai. She felt her eyes well up again because he could have given her flowers or jewels, but he gave her the one thing she wanted the most. He knew her too well.

Not too far from their location, Sakura stood rooted in the spot where she had landed. She had heard the explosion nearby, and hadn't flinched. She had heard the three consecutive explosions from far off, and hadn't flinched.

She was surrounded.

Eleven samurai. Eleven blue haori's and white headbands.

Completely surrounded.

"Well, well, well. We meet again, boy." A sneer called from her left. Sakura's eyes followed the voice and found herself staring at Kyosuke. He didn't recognize her, even with her face badly beaten up as it was from injuries he had inflicted himself. "Looks like you weren't strong enough for someone."

"I did this to myself." Sakura replied quietly.

She had done it to herself. She had allowed herself to block out her memories for as long as she possibly could when she knew she shouldn't have. It had been destructive to do so and it had cost her dearly.

Sakura breathed a sigh. She was doing it again: reflecting on the past that could not be changed instead of focusing on the present which was more important. Women had been kidnapped. They were in need of help. Sakura was there to help. Breathing deeply, she closed her eyes.

"Pretty cocky, boy. You've closed your eyes to 11 enemies." Kyosuke said. Mentally going through the exact location of every samurai in her premises, Sakura debated her best option for getting out of the mess she was in. She had only about one good fight in her before she succumbed to her injuries. Taking out 11 samurai seemed to be a pretty damn good fight.

Opening her eyes again, Sakura focused on the samurai directly in front of her.

He was young, no older than 17. His eyes were sharp and focused. He held his head high and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword. He was relaxed in his stance, but Sakura could tell he was anxious. He wanted to prove himself to his comrades.

"I'm not cocky." Sakura said; her eyes never left the kid.

Kyosuke pondered for a moment. Remembering their past altercation, he knew the boy wasn't cocky. He was good. But not good enough to take on that many samurai.

"No, you're not." The Shinsengumi leader replied. Turning around, Kyosuke started to head back into the forest. He had left the capture of his Kaoru to the ninja as he went in search of his squad. The explosions in the distance told him his ninja were doing their job.

Time to reap the benefits.

Ten samurai were enough for one boy. Too much really.

Sakura let him leave without saying a word. The number 11 changed to 10 and it was fine by her. She wasn't fully aware of his ability as a swordsman, and she didn't think she had the energy to find out.

"Why are we standing here? 10 to 1? This is a waste of manpower. We need to get those women back." A man whispered. Sakura broke her gaze on the boy in front of her to turn sharply to her left again.

"Back?" she asked. The samurai who had spoken turned away from the man he spoke to and faced her.

"It's not your concern, boy. You'll be dead soon." He said simply, drawing his sword.

But it was her concern, if he said 'back' that meant they were loose! Her options for fighting suddenly squandered down to only one. She had to take out 10 and fast. That large of a number meant fewer men chasing those women.

"I'm going to need another sword." Sakura muttered to herself.

Aoshi and Misao were on their way back towards Sakura. Misao's kimono was discarded in the forest where she had changed and she was wearing her uniform again. The freedom was so sweet she could hardly contain her happiness.

Once she had changed, Aoshi had immediately set off without a word. He had to get back to Sakura. She was injured and probably needed his help. He wasn't sure how badly injured she was, but he knew when someone was hurt.

"Aoshi-sama, we need to find the other women." Misao said as she came up along side him. Aoshi nodded in agreement.

"We do, but I need to find Sakura first." He said.

"Sakura?" Misao asked, confused. She recognized the name. It was the same name as the women Kaoru mentioned. It was also the same name she heard Aoshi shout earlier.

"Yes." Aoshi replied, not explaining any further.

Through the trees Aoshi caught a glimpse of blue and angled his direction. In moments he could make out a circle of men, surrounding a small figure dressed in black.

Increasing his pace, Aoshi streaked for her as fast as he could, with Misao right next to him. Following Aoshi's line of sight Misao saw the small figure and recognized him immediately. It was the very same man who tried to rescue her in the clearing so many days ago.

"Kami-sama, we have to help him!" Misao cried.

Aoshi silently agreed, but what had his attention was the fact that Misao referred to Sakura as 'him'. During their walk to the forest Sakura had filled them in on all her memories about the new Shinsengumi squad. She included the cause to her temporary memory loss which was the dynamite and the debris knocking her out.

Misao believed Sakura was a man. How long had Sakura lived in that lie? Did she constantly exist as a man? Was she acting as a man in the midst of the squad of Shinsengumi right now?

Unanswered questions raced through Aoshi's mind as he approached the group. Sakura was extraordinarily strong, yes. But she was severely injured and she was in no shape to take on 10 samurai.

"Let's be done with this. Kill the boy." One samurai said. He was apparently the leader of the group since Kyosuke departed. He was bored and angry at being left behind to take care of the kid. Upon his order, 3 samurai drew their swords, eager to please their commander. One of the three had been the 17 year old Sakura had locked eyes with moments before.

"Before we do this, I'd like to clear up a few things." Sakura replied. Lowering her eyes, Sakura took a deep mental breath and finally voiced the truth. "First of all, I'm not a boy. I'm a woman."

Reaching over, she grasped the hilt of her sword and drew it slowly from its sheath. The samurai surrounding her had frozen at her statement. At first they had been slightly aware that the boy had a sword and carried himself quite well. But now with the new information, their awareness had been shelved as they found themselves facing the weakest living thing on the planet. Two of the three samurai who had drawn their swords, immediately re-sheathed them. The last remaining samurai who held a sword was the very same 17 year old.

Sakura noted the change in the atmosphere. There was no tension remaining whatsoever. Her news had certainly dropped the guard of the 10 men surrounding her. She was fair. She wouldn't attack when their guards were dropped. She would raise them once again. Fully releasing her sword, Sakura flicked it habitually.

"Second of all, I've killed more people than you've known in your whole life."

The few snickers that had started were drowned out by the cry of the young man as he attacked her. He ran towards her, carrying his sword awkwardly. Swinging wide, he tried to take off her head. He threw the whole weight of his body behind his sword, which was a considerable amount more than Sakura's weight. Had she been defenseless and stationary he would have caused some damage. Instead Sakura raised her sword and stopped his dead.

The young samurai was stunned. His sword had come to such a sudden stop he felt as if he had hit a wall. He looked down at the woman before him as she swung her gaze up to him. There was determination in her eyes that he had never seen in another person before.

"I'm sorry. I need your sword." She said. With her own sword she swatted his away, forcing it to the ground. She stepped on the flat end of the blade and forced him to drop it. Her step had turned her back to him, and she brought her elbow back and smashed him in the face with her whole body weight behind the attack. Stars exploded before his eyes and he crumpled to the ground.

Aoshi leapt from one branch to another then came to a dead halt when he saw the attack. The boy had charged her and she had stopped his blade dead in its track. Then she had rendered him unconscious with a single blow. Aoshi remained on the branch and watched in strange fascination as Sakura nudged her foot under the fallen blade and it flipped up into her free hand.

The shock of her actions had worn off the other samurai and suddenly Aoshi watched two more men charge. She was reckless. Two swords that size were entirely too large and cumbersome for her to swing. Aoshi was about to help her when she started to move again.

Swinging both swords, Sakura blocked both charging samurai. She crouched low to the ground, spun on her feet and knocked the blades from the hands of their owners. She stood to her full height, turned her blade and brought the sword over her head, swinging it down hard. The force of the blow broke the collarbone of one samurai and sent him sprawling. Pivoting in time Sakura blocked a blow from the second samurai as he attempted to attack with his short sword. Throwing her weight behind her, she plowed her fist still carrying a sword into his abdomen. Coughing harshly the man collapsed to his knees. Sakura grabbed his head and smashed her knee into his face. Blood spurt out of his broken nose and he fell over unconscious.

Three samurai down. Sakura turned to the remaining 7. Each man stood in absolute shock. She had rendered three samurai unconscious or severely injured in a matter of moments. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with; however she was slow with the swords.

"You now know my strength." Sakura said to her opponents breaking the more seasoned ones out of their appraisal of her. "Now know my speed."

Aoshi saw her move. Barely. She was across the distance separating her and the circle of men in a flash, and she swung her swords as if they were an extension of her body. Never in his life had he seen someone fight the way Sakura was fighting.

Sakura kept moving as if the swords had always been there. The momentary shock of her speed had the samurai forgetting they were fighting a woman. Immediately the remaining samurai reached for their swords. Only 6 were successful at drawing them fully because she had managed to knock out one more.

Sakura's swords were swung with brilliant accuracy that it was frightening to think of her as a manslayer. She felt slightly awkward in her movements since she had reversed the blades on both swords so as not to kill anyone. That awkwardness caused her to be slower than she remembered.

Sakura turned, bringing her swords up on either side of her head and blocked two blows. As soon as the steel clashed she crouched, flinging out her leg and twisting her whole body she took two men off their feet.

Another samurai came leaping over the two fallen men and Sakura blocked his blow with her sword. Pushing off the ground Sakura did a back flip to land on her feet way from the men again. Turning she raised her borrowed sword and blocked another blow.

Aoshi and Misao stood dumbfounded. Misao had seen the guy fight before, but she had never seen anyone fight like this. In comparison, Kenshin was much faster that this guy. But he was moving with two swords!

"She's tiring." Aoshi muttered. Misao's eyes snapped to Aoshi's profile in confusion. She was about to ask who 'she' was when Aoshi suddenly moved leaving her alone on the branch. Not one to be left behind, Misao immediately followed.

Sakura leapt away from another strike and distanced herself from her attackers. She was breathing heavily from the demanding fighting she was doing. She was still in the company of 4 men. She had dwindled her numbers down and it had cost her dearly. Pushing down the exhaustion and pain she was feeling, Sakura crossed the two blades at the hilt.

The remaining samurai regrouped and moved to surround her. Each man was breathing heavily and in complete disbelief that she had taken out half their numbers in a matter of minutes. She hadn't killed anyone! She had either broken a bone or a sword, rendering the samurai completely useless even if he did wake up.

"Come." Sakura said.

The Shinsengumi attacked at once. Sakura drew one blade against the other, stepped out with her left foot and swung around her self, throwing her body weight against the sword as it connected with the blade of another samurai.

The blade snapped, and Sakura's sword kept traveling to connect with the face of the owner of the newly broken sword. His jaw bone snapped under the force of the blow and he flew to the side.

Driving the borrowed sword into the ground, Sakura pushed off the ground and gripped her own sword with both hands. Raising the sword over her head, she delivered a crushing blow to one of the samurai.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu – Ryu Tsui Sen!" she cried.

Aoshi's blood ran cold. She knew Hiten Misturugi! Where the hell had she learned that?

Sakura landed and crouched to dampen the impact on her body. Reaching out she grabbed the sword she had dug into the ground and whipped around to block a blow from the second last samurai. She slid her blade against his until she met with the guard above the hilt. She was close enough to him to see the pale face and hear the labored breathing of her opponent.

The last samurai raised his sword to strike the girl down. Aoshi moved faster than the samurai could focus. His blade was shattered to pieces and his chest exploded with blood as Aoshi finished his Kaiten Kenbu.

His shallow kaiten kenbu. The samurai fell over unconscious, but still alive.

The samurai fighting with Sakura saw the entire thing. He was too much in shock to notice that she still held her second blade until he felt the cold steel against his neck. Instantly he released his sword.

Sakura looked up into the fearful face of the samurai who appeared to be the leader of the group. He was the last remaining samurai left standing after everything Sakura and Aoshi had done. They were surrounded by unconscious or partially conscious samurai, broken swords, and broken spirits.

"Kneel." Sakura commanded. He didn't hesitate when he fell to his knees before her. Sakura brought her other blade to a rest against the other side of his neck. "What's your name?"

"Ayamu."

"Do you remember what I said when this fight first began?" Sakura asked.

"You said you were a woman." His voice was full of fear. Never in his life had he imagined someone as strong as the person before him.

"What else did I say?"

"You said you killed more men than I had ever known in my life."

"I have." Sakura said sadly. She lowered her swords and stepped back from him. "I was the one who killed your comrade several days ago."

Ayamu's eyes widened. He had been on that mission that night. He remembered the woman. She had been crazed and he had thought it was a lucky strike on her part. It never crossed his mind that she had been so skilled with swords. He hadn't even thought of that other man after he had died. It was part of their job. Some would die, some wouldn't.

"I'm not going to kill you, Ayamu. I need you to deliver a message." Sakura said. He nodded. "Tell your master, Kyosuke, that he failed to kill Sakura."

"Sakura." Misao whispered.

Ayamu moved as fast as he could to get out of the clearing and deliver the message. He had felt fear before in his life, but nothing compared to the fear he felt knowing that the woman he was leaving in the clearing could have killed all his comrades much easier than she had disarmed them.

Misao stared at the woman before her. This was the Sakura that Kaoru had been talking about.

Kenshin's Sakura.

She had masterfully disguised herself as a man. Misao had been deceived twice by it. Even as she was at that moment, Sakura still looked like a man. She was taller than Misao, with long brown hair tied back in a low ponytail. She had clear blue eyes and wore a black gi and hakama Misao recognized as the Oniwabanshu practice uniform. Beneath the black gi Misao could see pure white bandages wrapped all the way up to her collar. They must aid in her appearance as a man.

Sakura breathed deeply and unevenly. She was in a tremendous amount of pain that was causing her to see black spots in front of her eyes. Blinking rapidly Sakura directed her eyes above her to the late-afternoon sky. In another hour or so the sun would set and getting the women out of the forest would be much harder. Sakura's grip on her swords weakened and the swords fell to the ground at her feet. Her legs gave out beneath her and Sakura fell to her knees. Aoshi was at her side in an instant.

He had watched her slow decline from a distance. He was still reeling from the shock of seeing her use one of Kenshin's moves. How had she known that?

"Sakura-san!" Misao exclaimed, rushing to the woman's side. Sakura glanced over at her and then back to Aoshi.

"I see you have her back." Sakura said, smiling. Aoshi looked over at Misao and back to Sakura. He made no reply but one wasn't needed. Sakura's smile was a knowing one. She knew that Aoshi was relieved to have Misao back. Her smile was replaced with a wince of pain when a sharp shooting pain erupted from her side.

"What happened?" Misao asked worriedly, indicating the injury that had gotten worse. Sakura shook her head.

"It's nothing."

All conversation was cut off when the smell of something burning was noticed. Three sets of eyes turned in all directions. Attached to the thick trees surrounding them, were sticks of dynamite. Aoshi counted over 15 trees containing at least one stick of dynamite.

The resulting explosion shook the ground for miles. Back in Kyoto, Okina sat in the upper level of the Aoiya. He was with the worried parents and guardians of the missing girls. A low rumble sounded and Okina glanced over at the cup of steaming tea that lay beside him. It was shaking slightly, as was the floor he was seated upon. Looking out the window he could see black smoke billowing out from the opposite side of the mountain to the west.

A feeling of dread washed over him. He knew in his heart that his friends and family were on that mountain.

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A.N. Many thanks go to my friend who gave me the name for the samurai. I'm totally terrible for thinking up original names that are Japanese for characters (probably why I don't have a whole lot of original characters). Anyways, thanks!

One big fight down, several more to go! Muahaha, I love fight scenes.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Until next time!


	16. The Past Returns ch15

Disclaimer: Kenshin isn't mine. I merely borrowed the characters for my story.

A.N. Well, another chapter for your reading amusement. This chapter takes a turn away from the main story so we can learn a little more about Kyosuke and his motives for being a jerk. The end of the chapter goes back to the main characters. I hope this whole thing will clear up the whole Kyosuke thing. There's also reference to the prequel to this story "Secrets of the Revolution". If you haven't read it then read the A.N at the bottom and I'll explain.

R&R!

Enjou!

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The Past Returns – Chapter 15

Kyosuke was standing in the forest with two ninja kneeling behind him, and one samurai kneeling before him. The samurai was Ayamu, a member of the squad Kyosuke had left behind to deal with the boy in the clearing. But the man before him was beaten. He had no sword and there were two small cuts on his neck that were bleeding slightly.

It wasn't the beaten appearance of his samurai that caused Kyosuke to be angry at that moment. It wasn't the fact that the ninja behind him had reported Kaoru's escape either. What had him angry was the news his samurai had delivered.

"What do you mean she's not dead?" he growled. He had just been informed that the woman who had killed one of his comrades, had caused the cut on his cheek, and had been a thorn in his side until she disappeared over the waterfall, was still alive.

"The samurai in the clearing. She is Sakura! The woman who killed..." Ayamu exclaimed.

"I don't believe you. The man in the clearing destroyed one of my swords. He is too strong to be a woman." Kyosuke interrupted.

"I would never lie to you Kyosuke-sama. She is strong. Stronger than any woman could possibly be!"

"And you were defeated by her?" Kyosuke said quietly. Ayamu bowed low, touching his forehead off the ground.

"I apologize, Kyosuke-sama. Her strength was great and she took us by surprise. We were not prepared to fight against a woman as strong as she."

Ayamu never again rose from his bow. In a flash, Kyosuke unsheathed his sword and drove it down through Ayamu's neck, instantly severing his head from his spinal cord, killing the man instantly.

"Women are not strong. They are weak creatures meant to be exploited and abused as a man sees fit." Kyosuke sneered. Pulling the bloody blade from the victim's body, Kyosuke removed a cloth from his haori and cleaned the sword. He re-sheathed it and turned to the ninja who still knelt behind him.

"Go back to the clearing. Destroy it and everyone in it." Kyosuke ordered. There was a nod of obedience and the ninja were gone. "And bring me the Kamiya girl!"

He would show them all that women were weak. Kamiya Kaoru would be his shining example.

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Ten year old Takei Kyosuke hit the wall hard and slumped to the floor. The coppery taste of blood exploded in his mouth where his mother's fist had slammed into his face.

"Little brat." She slurred.

Kyosuke lived with his mother in a row house on the outskirts of Kyoto. For as long as he could remember he had been beaten by his mother. He didn't know who his father was, simply because his mother didn't know either. The only time he could escape his mother was by hiding in the tiny closet when she was too drunk to notice his absence.

Kyosuke spent his time at home in the closet.

When he wasn't home, he was on the street. He would be kicked out by his mother on a regular basis and sent to find men and money for her.

He was a constant reminder to her that she had failed once at attempting to ensnare a man by getting pregnant. She had kept her baby only to help her out as she begged for money. Seeing a young mother with a small child always seemed to open coin pouches.

Once he was old enough, Kyosuke had started begging by himself. He was about four when his mother had forced him out in the middle of winter. She wouldn't allow him back into their small row house until he had collected a certain amount of money.

Kyosuke was 6 when he first saw his mother take a man to her bed. He was ordered into the closet when the man knocked loudly on the door. He couldn't see what was going on, but he heard lots of weird noises, and then the sound of coins being tossed onto the dirt floor. Moments later the main door was slid open, and then closed again.

"Brat, get out here!" his mother had yelled. Kyosuke stuck his head out the door to see his mother sitting naked on their rolled out blanket. She had sake next to her which she was drinking directly from. "Go get me another one." She ordered, indicating the man that had just left.

Kyosuke did everything in his power to avoid getting beaten by his mother, so he immediately left their room and went in search of another man for his mother.

For almost four years Kyosuke would find men, his mother would sleep with them. The money would go to more sake for her. Every now and then a man would give Kyosuke the money directly, and he would hide a small portion of it.

The trend continued until the day his mother discovered him hiding a small coin in his stash.

"You're stealing from me? Your own mother?" she had screamed.

"Mother, please stop!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet and twisting out of his mothers reach. It was the dead of winter outside and he had no where to run even if he did escape the small row house. He had always feared his mother. She was bigger and stronger than he was. He hated her. She caused him immense pain.

But lately he was noticing she was not as tall as she used to be. Her fists didn't hurt as much as they had when he was smaller.

She smacked him hard causing him to be thrown back over their small storage bin. The boy and the storage bin flew to the other side of the room. Kyosuke hit the floor hard and opened his eyes to find himself staring directly at the carving knife they owned. Rage gripped his being as he snatched the knife into his hand and swung around, slicing his mothers hand opened.

She cried out in surprise, stumbled backward and tripped over the blanket that was bunched in the middle of the floor. Kyosuke used the opportunity and pounced on her like a cat would a mouse.

He didn't stop, his rage had blinded him. He continually plunged the blade into any part of the woman under him that he could. Her struggles stopped after the fourth stab, but he continued until his arms screamed in pain from use and he couldn't see past the blood in his eyes.

Kyosuke stood on shaky legs, staring down at the woman who used to be his mother, and the blood that covered his whole body. His legs stilled as he stared down at her quiet form and a tranquil feeling settled over his body.

Moving to the basin of water he had collected earlier that day, he washed the blood off his face, chest, and hands. He changed his yukata for one he had purchased and hidden from his mother several weeks before hand. He also cleaned off the carving knife before slipping it into its holder and shoving it between the ties of his yukata. He left the row house, and didn't look back.

Kyosuke felt as if his life had started in that moment. But his mother's death wasn't the only one he held. He had moved on in life to another woman, doing to her what he had done to his mother. Then another, and another. Each woman had taken him into their homes, provided for him until he felt their use had run out, then he had discarded them just as he had his mother.

At the age of twelve, Kyosuke had taken 5 different women into his possession and sold them until they were of no more use. He had then disposed of them in the same manner that he had gotten rid of his mother.

He had normally stuck to the outskirts of Kyoto where the women were already homeless whores. He would promise them riches and lure them into his little business. Women were never smart. He would lie saying he worked for his father and always had women falling for it.

The biggest obstacle for him was the start of the Revolution. War broke out between the Choshu faction, the Shouganate, and the Shinsengumi. People, women in particular, were becoming more wary. They were not as easily duped by a boy. Kyosuke had to be careful and very particular when he found the 'right' woman to be his slave.

It was a warm summer night when Kyosuke set out to find his 6th woman. Kyosuke had just gotten rid of his 5th woman and was on his way to where the girl of his choice was usually found, scrounging for scraps of food in alleyways. Kyosuke found her easily. She was a small thing, just a slip of a girl, with large dark eyes and stringy black hair.

"Excuse me, Oneesan." Kyosuke said softly to the figure huddled in a dark corner. The girl looked up at him with wide frightened eyes.

He had no chance of continuing with his story. The girl sprung to her feet and flew at him in a blinding flash of fury. Her teeth were bared and Kyosuke caught the glimpse of a blade. With no chance of escaping, he could only block the upcoming blow so he threw his arms up in front of his face to guard himself and wait for the attack.

It never came. Instead there was a strangled cry and the sound of a body hitting the ground. Kyosuke lowered his arms and found himself staring up at a man wearing the distinctive blue haori of the Shinsengumi.

"Well kid, that was a close one." The man said as he wiped the blood off his blade and resheathed it. The girl lay dead on the ground in front of him. Kyosuke looked from the man, down to the girl, and back up again.

"You killed her!" Kyosuke said, in a state of shock. The man looked at the kid in surprise.

"She was just a girl. The weakest form of a human being. No one will miss her."

"You're wrong! She was going to be mine! I needed her!" Kyosuke exclaimed. The samurai looked at him incredulously.

"You? You're a kid? What could you need her for? You're too young to enjoy a woman they way they should be enjoyed."

"I enjoy them plenty! They make me money by serving men like you!" he spat back. The samurai paused, staring at the boy. Then slowly, a smile spread across his face.

"You're a smart kid. What's your name?"

"Takei Kyosuke!" he replied, pulling out the carving knife he had kept and taking a defensive stance.

"Kyosuke. It's a good strong name. I see you have a smart mind in that head of yours, and the potential to be a great samurai." The man replied. "I'm the captain of Shinsengumi squad 7, Moriyama Shiro. We could use a page in our ranks and in exchange I'll train you to be the best."

"Being a samurai isn't my life's goal."

"As a samurai, you'd have the power to control many more women."

The boy pondered that option for a moment. Shinsengumi had a great reputation as a reputable squad. Shiro was indeed a boy's ideal role model. He was strong, and he knew women for what they really were.

That was the day Kyosuke's life changed for the second time. He joined the squad and studied under the captain for another 3 years. On his fifteenth birthday he was brought to the red light district and had his first taste of buying a women rather than selling her. It wasn't unpleasant, but the only thing in his mind was the money she was going to make for bedding him, when she deserved nothing.

But his life had one more turn to take. And it occurred when he was out one evening, delivering a message to squad 4. He had been entrusted with the knowledge that Okubo Toshimichi was arriving in Kyoto that evening, and squad 7 was heading out to kill him. It wasn't an order by any of the Shinsengumi leaders, but Okubo was an influential man and his death would mean the end of the revolution.

Kyosuke had left the inn, where he and squad 7 were staying, in order to deliver the message. Shiro and two of his other comrades had locked themselves in a room with one of the servant girls, while the other samurai waited for their leader so they could commence their attack. The servant girl was being ravished by the three men, in order to teach her a lesson. She had been sneaking out of the inn every night and meeting in secret with her lover, all the while she had flaunted herself in front of the samurai, and glared at them when they touched her.

She was a whore. Just like all the others.

Kyosuke failed to deliver the message. Instead, halfway to the location where squad 4 was stationed, he had been passed by two people he never thought he would lay eyes on. Kastsura Kogoro and Hitokiri Battousai. Both men were running at a breakneck pace towards the general direction of the inn outside Kyoto. Normally Kyosuke wouldn't have thought anything of it, but the fact that neither man was making the attempt to hide in the shadows made Kyosuke's skin crawl with foreboding.

He turned around and headed back for the inn. He arrived in time to see Battousai and Katsura leave the building and run into the darkness of night. Kyosuke made his way to the inn and wasn't far from the main entrance when he smelled the stench of blood. He could see the main door was left open and when he arrived he found the owner of the inn lying dead on the floor with a sword stuck in his neck. Fear gripped him as he followed the trail of blood up to the second floor, and to the room where the two assistant captains were dead.

The girl was gone, and everyone at the inn was dead.

Kyosuke left the inn that night, disappearing into the darkness. The next morning the entire city heard of the terrible accident that had burned the inn to the ground, taking every life with it.

Kyosuke had spent the rest of his life acting as the new captain of the new Shinsengumi squad 7.

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Hiko stood with the unconscious forms of three ninja at his feet. Next to him there were three women whom he had left with the kid and the Kamiya girl. Of course seeing them running unprotected through the forest just minutes after leaving them hadn't exactly brightened his day. Nor had the explosion that was currently shaking the ground under his feet. The three women let out a cry as the shaking continued. Rolling his eyes, Hiko turned to the women and stepped over the unconscious ninja in order to go over to them.

He had taken two steps when he felt an aura behind him. Turning to his left he stared into the dark forest for a few moments, waiting. From the darkness emerged a glowing ember. Attached to the glowing ember was a cigarette that hung out of Saito Hajime's mouth. He carried his sword in one hand, and took the cigarette from his mouth with the other. Behind him were two more women with terrified expressions on their face. The second they saw their fellow captives they ran over to them.

The reunion was a happy but subdued one. The 5 women were very apprehensive of the two men before them. They didn't feel threatened by them since they had been rescued, however they were both large men carrying huge swords.

And they looked terrifying.

"Where's my baka-deshi?" Hiko asked, noting the absence of the small red-head. Saito merely shrugged.

"Where's the shrimp?" he asked in reply. Hiko shrugged as well. Turning, Saito faced the women. "There are five, how many were captive in total?"

"Eight I think. The weasel, the tanuki, and someone else." Hiko replied.

"Misao-chan, Kaoru-san, and Midori-chan." One woman said. She appeared to be the oldest of the bunch, around 20 years old. She had stepped forward to be in front of the group of women.

"Whatever." Hiko said. Saito threw his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it. Looking up he noted the thick black cloud of smoke billowing out of the forest to their right.

"Guess I won't need to use my signal fire." Saito said. He had brought one with him so that he could signal the police waiting in Kyoto. The plan had been to call in backup once the women were found. Saito was well aware of the power the small group of rescuerspossessed but the priority for the police was to get the women out of there safe and sound.

Of course, he had his own insurance in the forest already. His backup would be along to take care of the women in very little time.

He was planning to deal with those Shinsengumi in his own way.

"I'm going to look for the kid." Hiko snorted and turned his back to the 5 women and Saito. The former Shinsengumi captain merely watched as Hiko walked away into the woods. A slight whimper of fear reminded Saito that he was with 5 terrified women. Normally he would ignore them, but he was reminded of the tongue lashing his wife had given him for being intimidating in the past. Putting on his Fujita Goro smile, he turned back to the women and bowed slightly.

"I apologize for the gruffness we have displayed. I am Lieutenant Fujita Goro of the police and I will wait here with you until my comrades arrive to help you." He said.

Hiko headed away from the explosion. He had left Yahiko a short while ago and the kid was probably in some sort of trouble if the girls had come into his protection. He was starting to second guess his decision of leaving the kid alone. Not because Yahiko wasn't able to handle himself, no. That boy was showing a lot of promise to become a strong samurai.

But he was concerned nonetheless. Yahiko may show promise, but he was still only training, and he was only 12, he still had 3 years left before he was considered an adult.

Yahiko watched as Kaoru bandaged up the wound on his hand. His cheek still stung where Kaoru had cleaned the blood and applied a bandage to keep the fresh cut closed. She was lecturing him on his carelessness as she carefully tended to his injuries. He was ignoring her though, as usual.

They had started to make their way towards the explosion when Kaoru had demanded they stop so she could patch Yahiko up. Of course she looked in much worse shape than he did. But they stopped and she began her first aid on her student.

"There! Finished! Now don't try and do anything else stupid to cause yourself any more problems!" Kaoru said as she started to pack the bandages back into a small pouch Kenshin had been carrying with him.

"Stupid! I saved your life, Ugly!" Yahiko roared coming to his feet before his master. Kaoru tensed and felt her temper flare.

"Ugly! How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me Ugly!" Kaoru yelled back and started to get to her feet. Her movement was stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder. Looking up she locked eyes with Kenshin.

"It's your turn. Sit." He ordered, indicating to the log Yahiko had been sitting on.

"But..."

"Your injuries need to be tended to as well, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said as he gently nudged her towards the log. Kaoru complied and sat down.

Kenshin pulled out a clean cloth and wet it with the water they had. He gently cleaned the dried blood off her face and neck. The scratches on her face were only superficial, they wouldn't cause any problems. Her split lip was badly swollen and developing a nasty bruise.

He unwrapped the bandages from her neck and grit his teeth at the sight of the closed wound on her throat. Someone had threatened her at the point of a blade. They had even broken skin.

"Who did this to you?" he asked quietly.

Kaoru could read him entirely too well for him to attempt to cover his anger. She knew he was in a rage over her injuries. She also knew that he wouldn't hold back when he dealt with the offender. Kenshin would stick to his oath to never kill again quite easily. But he would see that Kyosuke would get his just punishments.

"It doesn't matter. It's happened to other women, and it will continue to happen if we don't stop them today." Kaoru replied. Kenshin rewrapped her neck with clean bandages and nodded in agreement. It did matter to him who had done that to her, but he also knew she was right. If they weren't stopped then they would do it again to someone else. Someone not as strong as Kaoru.

"I need to see your leg, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said quietly, pointing at the bloody gash in her kimono on her thigh. Kaoru's face flamed red at the thought of Kenshin seeing her bare leg.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it!" Kaoru said cheerfully as she hopped to her feet to prove it. She was lying of course and knew immediately that she shouldn't have put her weight on it like she had. Her semi-closed wound screamed in protest and she felt it reopen. The pain had been easy to ignore up to that point but she faltered slightly and Kenshin reached up to steady her.

"Please." Kenshin said softly as Kaoru slowly sat back down. Swallowing her embarrassment, she nodded in response.

Kenshin knew she was embarrassed. Any woman her age would be embarrassed to have a man see her bare thigh when that man wasn't her husband or her doctor. Of course there were always exceptions, Misao being the first one to enter his mind. He gently pulled the heavy fabric of her kimono away to reveal her thigh to him, showing the ugly gash in full view. It was 4 inches long and had started to bleed again when she had jumped to her feet. Kenshin took the water and poured it over the wound, cleaning it to the best of his ability.

The wound was deep and would require some extra attention from a doctor to keep it closed in order to allow it to heal fully. Kenshin knew that her constant motion which was required to get her off the mountain would aggravate the wound even more. Maybe cause it to reopen again and again. The best option would be to slow the bleeding somehow.

"The wound is deep and will require proper attention when we get back to Kyoto. I'm going to stop the bleeding for the time being until it can be properly tended to" Kenshin said. Kaoru nodded in response. Knowing the bandages wouldn't be enough, Kenshin ripped some of his gi and used the stronger fabric. He wrapped it around her leg, covering the wound. "Brace yourself, this will hurt." He felt Kaoru tense under his hands as he tied the fabric tightly over the wound, stilling the bleeding and causing her to cry out in pain. Kenshin finished the patch job quickly and allowed Kaoru her leg back so she could cover it again.

"She's a woman, baka-deshi, she needs to be treated gently." A voice said. Turning, Kenshin's eyes fell on Hiko Seijiro.

"Where have you been?" Yahiko yelled at the larger man. He had been a little pissed that Hiko had left him to look for Misao, and even more so when he had been ambushed.

"Doing your job!" Hiko retorted back. "Five of those girls you were supposed to protect are back there with the grumpy cop waiting for more grumpy cops to show up."

"Saito has five? What about the others?" Kenshin asked, standing up.

"Well, number six isyou and..." Hiko started but immediately stopped. Kenshin sensed it too. Both men had drawn swords and blocked the barrage of kunai's that flew from the trees overhead.

Eight ninja descended down on the group, and attacked all at once.

Hiko had pulled no punches when he attacked, taking out two with one swing. Both he and Kenshin and took to the air to meet their attackers head on. Kenshin had taken care of one ninja himself bringing the total to three unconscious before they reached the ground.

When his feet hit the ground Kenshin heard the soft landing of a ninja behind him. Turning he swung his sword and easily stopped two kunai from embedding themselves in his back. His saya followed the arc of his sword and with no kunai in the way the ninja felt the full force of the sheath as it plowed into his side.

Hiko stopped the path of a sword with the back of his hand. One ninja used a katana as his weapon of choice and attacking Hiko had been a mistake. He was easily defeated by the master swordsman with one swing.

Kenshin jumped clear of a ninja swinging nunchucks. He brought his sword up between the flying clubs and tangled the chains around the blade. Pulling once the ninja found himself defenseless as Kenshin's sword took claim of the weapons. The attacker couldn't stop Kenshin's fistwhich plowed into his chin and as a result and another ninja was out cold.

Hiko turned and grabbed a ninja by the face with his bare hand. Pushing with his full strength, he picked the ninja up and threw him bodily into the final man standing. In the time it took Kaoru to stand and grab her boken all 8 ninja were unconscious.

"Amazing." Yahiko whispered. He had been a fraction of a second from jumping into the battle when he found himself standing dumbfounded and watching as two masters of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu fought the enemy in seconds. He had seen Kenshin fight. He had seen Hiko fight. But never had he seen them both fight side by side. He was astounded at the power both men had.

"You're getting slower, baka-deshi." Hiko said as he turned to Kenshin.

-------------------

The smoke was thick and choking to Aoshi.

He had seen the dynamite and acted upon pure instinct and adrenaline. From his crouched position he reached over to grab the two women. Instead he found only one, and hauled her to him. He hadn't made it far when the explosion sent him reeling, jarring his teeth and sending shockwaves through his whole body. The force was so incredible he still felt that his bones were rattling in his body even after the explosion was over.

There was coughs wracking the body of the girl Aoshi held tightly in his arms. The fact that there had been only one to grab meant that the other had reacted instantly as well.

Aoshi knew who he held.

Misao coughed roughly. She had seen the dynamite and started to move, only to find herself swept up in Aoshi's arms and held protectively against his body as he shielded her from the explosion.

She knew Aoshi was fast. But she had never really experienced that speed before. She was fast herself, but she was nothing in comparison to Aoshi.

"Sakura." Misao coughed. While protected in Aoshi's embrace, Misao's first thought had been their injured companion. Aoshi would never have left her to fend for herself in her condition.

"She wasn't there." Aoshi replied hoarsly. His throat burned from the smoke he had inhaled.

"Wasn't there? Where is she?" Misao asked, looking up into his face.

They were sitting on the branch of a tall tree. Aoshi had his back against the huge trunk and Misao sat on the branch between his legs. The explosion had occurred behind them. Aoshi had used the old tree as protection from the debris and full force of the explosion.

"I don't know. I reached for you both and you were the only one I got." Aoshi replied.

Worry creased Misao's brow as she looked away from Aoshi, checking all areas her eyes could see for any sign of Sakura.

Her search was in vain. When Sakura had fled the clearing she had gone in the opposite direction from Aoshi. On the opposite side of the small crater left by the explosion, Sakura was semi-conscious, lying on the ground. Her side was screaming in pain, her breathing was shallow, and there was a set of feet right in front of her eyes.

The feet belonged to the young samurai who had been the first to fall under Sakura's strength. It had been his sword she had taken and used against his comrades. She had knocked him senseless, but the explosion had given him his senses back. He stood towering over her prone form with his sword firmly gripped in his hand.

-------------------------------------

A.N. Well, I hope this chapter was okay. I wanted to get Kyosuke's story in there somewhere. And I'm a fan of cliffhangers. :D!

For those out there who didn't quite get the interaction between Kyosuke and squad 7, it's all in the prequel to this story "Secrets of the Revolution". Short version is that Sakura was the servant girl that was attacked by the Shiro and his vice captains. She was also the one to burn down the inn. I won't say anything else aside from that so if you want to read "Secrets" go right ahead. :)

Anyways, look for the next chapter soon!

Sakura-san


	17. The Past Returns ch16

Disclaimer: RK and all those pretty pretty characters don't belong to me. I merely borrowed them for my story.

A.N. Welcome to the next chapter! I didn't leave you hanging too badly I hope! We shall jump right into the story with no more chatting!

R&R!

Enjoy!

-------------------------

The Past Returns – Chapter 16

Sakura tried to sit up, but instead she coughed roughly and tasted blood in her mouth. She was still reeling from the shock of the explosion so her movements were slow. She decided to stay still and wait for the pain the leave her body, even just a little.

"You." A gruff voice said. Sakura's eyes moved to look up into the eyes of the kid from the clearing.

The young samurai stood staring down at the woman at his feet. She had easily relieved him of his sword just minutes beforehand. Now he stood in possession of it once again. He had the opportunity to kill the woman quite easily now. But he was hesitating.

"What are you waiting for? This is your chance to redeem yourself by killing the enemy." The woman said weakly.

"Why did you save me?" he asked.

"As long as I live and breathe, I will save anyone I can." She replied, rolling onto her back and slowly sitting up. "My only regret is that I could only save one."

When Sakura had spotted the dynamite she had acted purely on instinct. It seemed apparent that the ninja of the Shinsengumi were quite ready to kill their comrades without a second thought. She had moved instantly and covered the ground between her and the semi-conscious kid. Grabbing him she ran as fast as she could, knowing full well that Aoshi would get Misao out of there just as fast, if not faster. She had made it out of the clearing and was moving as fast as she could push herself when the explosion occurred. Using her own body as a shield she had pulled the kid to her and turned her back to the shockwave.

It had sent them both flying across the forest floor and when they came to a stop, the kid had regained his senses.

He had woken from his semi-conscious state to find himself held tightly against the enemy. He had disentangled himself from her and reached for the sword she had firmly in her grip. Her other sword had been resheathed and she was currently lying on it.

Instead of killing her, like he normally would have, he found himself immensely confused by her. She was an enigma to him. She went against everything he was taught by Kyosuke about women. She was extremely strong, she never once used herself to blind a man, and she had cared enough to save his life while putting her own at risk.

"What's your name?" she asked him. She had noticed his hesitation and used it to just talk to him.

"Mamoru."

"Nice to meet you, Mamoru. I'm Sakura."

---------------------------------

Kaoru's leg burned with every step she took. She never once complained about it. She was following Yahiko and Hiko, while Kenshin walked behind her. They were heading towards Saito and the other women. Kaoru was fearful. There were only 5 there and Hiko didn't know which 5. She was mostly concerned about Midori. The girl had frozen when the group had been attacked. Then she had run away on her own. She was all alone out there. Had she been caught yet? Or was she one of the 5 in Saito's care?

Kenshin was well aware of Kaoru's pain. She wasn't good at covering it up when she walked. But he admired her strength, as he usually did. She was a strong woman, a fact that helped Kenshin more then he could describe. She was his strength, and his reason for continuing to fight.

"Kaoru-dono, are you okay?" Kenshin asked, coming up beside her.

"I'm worried about the other girls. There were 8 in total and Hiko had called me number 6, which means that there are two more out there. Who's lost? If it's the girl Midori then she doesn't stand a chance!" Kaoru said.

"I'm sure Midori is fine. She's probably with the other women. And I'm willing to bet that Misao is the 8th girl and we both know that she can handle herself. Both Aoshi and Sakura have probably found her by now." Kenshin replied. His attention was pulled away from Kaoru when he sensed a presence to their left.

Hiko sensed it too, and in a heartbeat Kaoru and Yahiko found themselves a good 20 feet from where they had been standing, just as an explosion erupted across the forest and sent debris flying towards the small group. Hiko had a grip on Yahiko's gi and Kaoru was in the safety of Kenshin's arms. From the smoke of the explosion poured several ninja and samurai.

"How many of these guys are there!" Hiko exclaimed as he dropped Yahiko back onto his feet. In the same motion he drew his sword and attacked. From behind the group several more ninja and samurai came from the trees.

They had been ambushed on both sides.

Kenshin released Kaoru and turned to the newest arrivals. He pulled out his sakabatou and attacked.

-------------------

Saito was down to his last cigarette. The 5 women in his care were sitting on the forest floor, waiting for the backup to arrive and bring them back to Kyoto. What Saito was waiting for was not a slew of police, but just one man. It wasn't long before Saito sensed him either.

The women heard the rustling of the leaves before their rescuers arrived on the scene, but what stepped out of the forest was not a swarm of clean cut police officers, instead a single tall man with spiky blonde hair, and two swords strapped to his back.

"Saito! Your flare is certainly lacking in subtly." The man said. Saito merely glared at the man.

"Your hair is lacking in subtly, broom-head." Saito replied.

Cho, the sword hunter, former Jupongatana turned police officer, stood in the clearing fuming at Saito's last comment.

"Don't call me broom-head. I'm your new best friend, Saito. I have something you want." Cho replied, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from inside his overcoat. Cho had ditched his bright colours long ago and taken up the blue of the police, however his uniform was not the same as the rest of the police. Instead he wore a dark blue yukata with a long hoari overcoat of the same blue. He had his swords strapped to his back, as usual, and he had his favorite sword secretly hidden under his yukata and wrapped around his waist.

Saito stared at the odd looking police officer. Cho was no match for the glare of the former Shinsengumi captain and it was only a few moments until he had handed the cigarettes over.

The exchange had been observed by all the women and they were apprehensive about their 'saviour'. Cho turned from the man before him and smiled at the five women.

"What do we have here?" he asked. His smile was anything but friendly and a couple of the girls hid behind those that weren't as frightened. Saito slapped Cho in the back of the head.

"Stop scaring them, idiot." Saito replied.

"Ow! Watch it, Saito! Unlike most police officers, I'm not afraid of you." Cho grumbled.

"Get these girls back to the city. They are under your protection now." Saito ordered, turning away from the 5 women and Cho. "I'm going to find the rest of them, and take care of the Shinsengumi."

Cho watched Saito disappear into the forest. It wasn't hard to imagine Saito Hajime wearing the blue of the Shinsengumi. It also wasn't hard to imagine him as the killer he was. Saito was a frightening man, even in the time of peace that was the Meji.

"Okay ladies, let's head home." Cho said.

"Wait! What about the others?" one asked.

"I wouldn't worry about them. The strongest men in all of Japan are in this forest right now, and they're on our side."

------------------------------

Misao and Aoshi stood in the middle of the charred and blackened clearing. Minutes beforehand they had been in the centre of the clearing with 9 unconscious samurai and Sakura. Now the 9 unconscious samurai were 8 dead samurai. They had been swallowed by the explosion and sacrificed by their comrades. The one missing samurai was the youngest of the group.

"The young guy isn't here." Misao said as she surveyed the scene. Aoshi nodded.

"Sakura probably saved him."

"What are we going to do now?" Misao asked. Not too far off there was a loud explosion of more dynamite. The couple standing in the clearing heard it and faced in the direction the sound came from.

"We're going to find the others. Let's go."

With that Aoshi took to the trees, with Misao hot on his heels. They leapt from tree to tree heading towards the blast. Misao continually scanned their surroundings for any sign of Sakura. She was worried about her.

It didn't take long for the pair to find the blast. They could hear the clashing of swords and the sounds of heated battle. Aoshi broke through the foliage first and could see Kenshin, Hiko, Yahiko and Kaoru. The four were engaged in a battle against a seemingly unending supply of ninja and samurai.

Aoshi pulled out several kunai and threw them down to cut off the attack of a ninja who was about to get the better of Yahiko. The two members of the Oniwabanshu didn't hesitate as they joined the battle.

Kaoru turned around in time to block another blow. She was getting tired really fast. She hadn't eaten much for the whole day, she hadn't slept much since she had been taken, and her injuries were starting to catch up with her. But even as exhausted as she was, she would never give up the will to fight. She was going to get out of the mess she was in if it was the last thing she would do.

Kenshin was doing all he could to stay nearby Kaoru during the fight. She was injured and it was causing her reaction time to be slower than normal. She may need his help at some point and he intended to be there to give it this time. He had failed last time, leaving Kaoru open to being kidnapped. He would not fail this time.

Yahiko was fighting on his own and doing well enough to still be standing after fighting a few samurai and ninja. He knew he was doing a good job since Kenshin was no where near him. He knew the older man put a lot of faith and trust in Yahiko's ability. Kenshin's trust was Yahiko's most prized possession.

Yahiko also noticed the extra kunai that blocked an attack moments before hand. Looking up he saw Aoshi jumping down from the trees and drawing his two kodachi's out of their sheaths. Right behind Aoshi was Misao who was arming herself with kunai and launching herself towards several ninja who were entering the battle field.

Hiko was growing tired of the same antics from the enemy with every passing minute. He was also questioning his sanity. Why the hell was he sticking around and helping out when all he wanted was to go back to his home, his fire pit, and his sake?

"Where's the girl?" Hiko asked Aoshi. Kenshin had noticed Aoshi's entry into the fight but when he heard the question he immediately scanned the area for any sign of Sakura.

The question went unanswered when another explosion just beyond the trees sent dirt and debris flying. Kaoru covered her face to protect from the debris and felt the two ninja leap past her as they went to attack Kenshin and the red-head found himself pushed back further from Kaoru.

When the dust cleared Kaoru lowered her arm and found herself staring at the back of a samurai who crouched before her. The rush of air behind her alerted her to another attack. From 25 feet away Kenshin saw that Kaoru was surrounded by samurai. He watched as the one behind her drew his weapon and swung it towards her. In the same instance the samurai in front of her drew his sword and swung it towards her as well.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko yelled.

The clash of steel rang through the clearing. Kaoru stood in wide-eyed shock with two blades crossed right next to her head. In front of her stood a young man, maybe a year or two younger than she was, and it was his blade that had stopped the rear attack,

"Mamoru! What the hell are you doing?" the samurai at Kaoru's rear exclaimed.

"He's repaying a debt." Sakura replied. She emerged from between the trees and came up behind the young man, Mamoru. The borrowed black gi was shredded, her white bandages were spotted with blood, and she wore a blue shinsengumi haori.

All fighting came to a halt.

"Have you betrayed us?" the samurai said, withdrawing his sword. Sakura came to stand beside Kaoru, facing the attacker.

"I have merely opened my eyes." Mamoru replied.

The ninja who had distracted Kenshin leapt back into the forest leaving him standing alone. Kenshin eyed Kaoru and Sakura from a distance. Sakura looked worse for wear, as if she had suffered a great battle since he last saw her. He knew she was in a weakened state, however he also knew that no matter what she would lay her life on the line to protect those around her, including an enemy.

Kaoru looked exhausted as well. The blood on her kimono was not increasing in any way meaning her wound was still securely closed. She had a very confused appearance on her face as she stood beside Sakura, glancing over at the former hitokiri.

A combination of relief washed over Kaoru when she heard and saw Sakura coming from the woods. Knowing that she was alive caused immense relief in Kaoru. Last time Kaoru laid eyes on her, Sakura was brandishing a sword and covered in the blood of her last victim.

"Opened your eyes? What are you talking about?"

"We are not in the right, Toji." Mamoru said. "What Kyosuke-sama has told us is not right! We cannot continue to do this! These women are innocent! They have done nothing to us and yet we condemn them to a life of servitude simply because they were born weaker! They are not weaker! And if you need proof of that, then you should fight her." He said, indicating Sakura. Kaoru turned to see her attacker at this point and was surprised to see another young man, roughly her own age. He wore the trademark blue haori and hatred was reflected in his eyes.

"You've betrayed us! You've fallen prey to this woman! You have betrayed Kyosuke-sama, and the memory of squad 7!"

Sakura's blood ran cold.

"Squad 7?" Kenshin whispered. His eyes locked on Sakura. Her eyes were wide and her face was white.

"What's squad 7?" Misao asked, coming up beside Aoshi and Hiko. The three were far removed from the other group. The atmosphere had changed to an increase in tension at the mention of the squad number.

"A Shinsengumi squad from the revolution. The entire squad was killed in a fire when the inn they were staying mysteriously burned to the ground one night. No one at the inn survived the fire, not even the help." Aoshi replied.

"You're wrong. They were killed. A woman seduced the squad and they were all killed by her lover!" Toji replied, turning towards Aoshi and the others.

Kenshin's heart clenched hard and painfully. How did he know!

"Where did you hear that?" Sakura whispered.

"Their page survived to tell the tale."

Kaoru froze at the sound of the new voice coming from behind her. Turning back towards Mamoru the sickening sound of steel piercing flesh shattered the silence of the clearing. Kaoru watched the blade of a sword erupt from the centre of Mamoru's chest and blood showered from the wound. Sakura reacted in a heartbeat and gave Kaoru a hard shove, getting her away from the attack.

Mamoru coughed up blood, his wide eyes landed on Sakura just as the blade was pulled from his body. The young man slumped over into Sakura's open arms.

"Mamoru!" she cried as she lowered his body to the forest floor.

"Traitors must die." Kyosuke sneered. He raised his sword once more. "And whores who turn them must die too." Sakura's head snapped up in time to watch the arc of the sword following its path to her.

A cry echoed through the clearing as Kaoru's boken struck square against Kyosuke's stomach. Feeling the full impact, Kyosuke doubled over, his sword losing momentum and missing its target. Kaoru placed herself between Sakura and Kyosuke in an effort to protect the woman.

Kyosuke smirked at the woman before him.

"Kaoru-san, you are looking a little worse for wear, such a pity for a beautiful woman." Kyosuke said. Kaoru gripped her boken a little tighter and stood her ground.

"You will not hurt anyone else, Kyosuke." Kaoru said firmly. The smirk remained in place on Kyosuke's face.

"We shall see." Kyosuke said. "I've got plans to make you mine, Kaoru-san." His voice was so quiet that only Kaoru heard the last threat.

"You were their page?" Sakura whispered from behind Kaoru. Kyosuke looked over Kaoru's shoulder at the body of his former subordinate. The young man was cradled in the arms of a woman. She wore a shinsengumi's haori and was back on to Kyosuke.

"Everything I know I learned from my captain." Kyosuke said proudly. He watched the woman put Mamoru's body on the ground and stand up.

"Shiro was a lot of things, but he was definitely not a captain of the shinsengumi." The woman said. Kyosuke watched in fascination as the woman turned around and recognized her immediately.

"You." He growled. "How dare you speak of my captain!"

"I know more about your 'captain' than you do, Kyosuke!" Sakura exclaimed, her eyes flashing rage.

"Sakura!" Kenshin called in an attempt to regain her attention. He knew the mention of squad 7 may trigger something in Sakura, and he knew that Kaoru was in immediate danger just by standing near her.

"I don't have time to talk to you about matters that you know nothing of." Kyosuke said. "I have more pressing things to deal with."

There was a fraction of a second delay in which Sakura reacted. She gave Kaoru a hard shove and sent the woman sprawling once again. Kenshin started moving the same instant that Sakura shoved. He watched Kaoru get thrown and Sakura stiffen before his vision was blocked.

The smoke screen explosion occurred overhead where the ninja had strategically placed themselves. Kaoru found herself lying on the ground, completely blanketed in smoke.

"Kaoru!" she heard Yahiko holler. "Kenshin! Where are you?"

Kaoru could only cough, the dust and smoke were suffocating. Her throat burned from it and her thigh screamed in pain where she had landed on it and reopened the wound.

From the smoke a shadow formed and started to approach her. Kaoru reached for her boken only to discover it was gone. She coughed again and started to crawl on the ground away from the unknown man. She was searching in vain for her boken.

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin called. He had started running towards Kaoru when Sakura had given her the shove but the thick smoke hindered his travel. "Kaoru-dono!"

"Kenshin!" Kaoru coughed, her voice very close. Kenshin spotted her shadowy figure through the haze and went over to her side. Relief flooded through him when the smoke cleared enough so he could see her but worry gripped him again when he saw her kimono stained with more blood.

"Kaoru-dono! Are you okay?" Kenshin asked, falling to his knees right next to her. Paying no attention to propriety, Kenshin parted her kimono to reveal her wound to him again. His torn piece of gi was coated with blood.

"I wouldn't worry about her." Kyosuke sneered. The smoke began to clear slowly and Kenshin turned towards the sound of the voice.

Kyosuke stood near the edge of the clearing. A ninja stood on the tree branch directly over his head. Sakura was unconscious, draped over the shoulder of the ninja.

"Sakura-san!" Kaoru shouted. Kenshin was silent. All that time he had thought Kaoru was a target, when they were actually after Sakura.

"Don't worry, Battousai. I'll be sure to treat her the very same way Captain Shiro would." Kyosuke said smiling.

Kenshin's eyes widened in horror.

Several kunai flew out of the haze directed straight at the ninja holding Sakura. The masked man leapt out of the way and headed into the depth of the forest. Aoshi burst from the smoke and gave chase.

"I'll get Sakura, you take care of Kamiya!" Aoshi called over his shoulder at Kenshin before disappearing into the forest. Misao and Yahiko ran up to Kenshin and Kaoru. Misao gave Kenshin a shove and started to administer first aid to Kaoru's leg once more. Kenshin had frozen at Kyosuke's threat and stood off to the side with uncertainty and helplessness written all over his face.

If Kyosuke did to Sakura what Shiro had done, it would surely break her.

"Kenshin." A gruff voice said. Turning, Kenshin faced Hiko who stared at his apprentice for a moment. Hiko could see the pain in his student's eyes. The pain of a past memory that definitely had something to do with the man 'Shiro'. "Who is Shiro? And what did he do to her?"

"Moriyama Shiro was the Captain of squad 7 of the Shinsengumi during the revolution." Saito's voice replied. "It was not a great loss to the Shinsengumi when he and his entire squad died in the fire 12 years ago. Shiro was the lowest form of human scum and undeserving of the title 'Shinsengumi'." Hiko and Kenshin watched the officer emerge from the darkening forest. He was pulling a cigarette out of the new pack he had in his possession. At Hiko's look, Saito put the cigarette in his mouth and lit the end of it, "Don't worry, one of my subordinates arrived and is currently escorting the woman off this mountain."

"And what did he do to Sakura?" Hiko repeated, turning back to Kenshin.

All eyes fell on Kenshin as the red head stood to the side. The only thought in Kenshin's head was Sakura and how she had looked on that rainy night 12 years beforehand. It was something that had been burned into his soul, never to be erased. Her blood red eyes, the voice of the devil coming from her mouth, the flick of her tongue on her blade as she tasted his blood.

The bloodcurdling scream that she emitted when she had finally snapped out of her murderous rampage.

The bruises, the scrapes, the tattered kimono...

"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked uncertainly. She had never seen the rurouni look so lost.

"What happened to Sakura, Kenshin?" Hiko pressed.

"I failed." Kenshin said softly.

"Kenshin." Hiko said.

"I failed to protect her."

"Kenshin! What did they do to her!"

"They raped her!" Kenshin shouted.

---------------------------

Sakura felt groggy. She had seen the ninja shoot the dart towards Kaoru in time to push the woman to the side. The effects of the poison were wearing off and she was starting to regain consciousness. As she became aware of her surroundings she started to pick up on things. She was lying on her back, in the middle of the forest. There was someone standing about 10 feet to her left with another two people kneeling before him.

"Separate them, and lure him to me." One voice said. Sakura recognized it as Kyosuke. The two kneeling figures left the area and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Kyosuke turned and started towards the semi conscious woman who lay on the forest floor.

Kyosuke came to a stop and stood over her prone form. Kneeling down he brushed the hair out of her eyes and looked at her as she forced her eyes open to look up at him.

"I don't know what Battousai sees in you." Kyosuke said, pulling out a short sword. "You are nothing compared to Kaoru-san." He slid the blade between Sakura's stomach and bandages. She could barely feel the cold steel against her warm skin. She felt as if she there was a thick fog in her head, one she couldn't clear no matter how hard she tried. "With you at my mercy, I can do what I want. And what I want is an enraged and distracted Battousai."

Kyosuke slid the blade up Sakura's body and sliced away her bandages.

-------------------------

A.N. Yeah… another cliffhanger. Muahahaha! Expect them for the rest of the story cuz that's just what I like to do! But don't worry; I'll finish the story I promise. :) It's all written and waiting to be edited/posted so it's all good!

Hope you enjoyed it! Until next time!

Sakura-san


	18. The Past Returns ch17

Disclaimer: RK and its characters are not mine. I merely borrowed them for my story.

A.N. Welcome to Chapter 17! I hope you like it!

R&R!

Enjoy!

--------------------------------------

The Past Returns – Chapter 17

Sakura felt the cold air on her skin and started to fight back. Lashing out she struck Kyosuke in the jaw, momentarily stunning him. He let out a foul curse and grabbed the woman's wrists.

He was slightly surprised at the force of the blow. She was stronger than the average woman, he would admit that much.

"Stop it!" he commanded, trying to pin her arms to the ground. The order fell on deaf ears. If anything she struggled even more.

Straddling her hips, Kyosuke used his body weight to force her wrists together in one hand and pin them to the ground. Reaching in his haori he grabbed the small spiral dart and jabbed it in her neck. Sakura stiffened as the additional poison spread through her body and her struggling subsided. She went limp under him.

Kyosuke remained sitting on her for a few moments and watched her eyes glaze over. Her head turned to the side limply and her arms relaxed in his grasp. He tentatively released her, and she didn't move.

Picking himself up off her, he reached down for the ties of her hakama at her waist.

"Kyosuke-sama!" a voice called. Kyosuke ignored the call, focusing on the woman in front of him.

Sakura barely felt the tug on her ties through her drugged state of mind. She felt blood rush to her head and the tell tale whispering of the demon within her. Sakura blinked once and her vision turned bright white and unseeing.

Kyosuke didn't see her move, but he felt her hands on his throat in a death grip. He looked down found himself staring into blood red, hate filled eyes. The force on his neck was painful and he realized in a second that she was trying to snap the bones in his neck.

A blood curdling scream echoed across the forest.

He did the only thing he could think of to release himself from her grasp. He had seen the ugly black-purple bruising on her side and knew she was injured. Balling up his fist he plowed it into her ribs. Instead of the sickening crunch of breaking ribs he expected to feel, his fist rammed into surprisingly soft flesh.

Sakura's pupils dilated in pain. Her hands relaxed their grip and Kyosuke seized the opportunity. Pulling out a kunai, Kyosuke drove it through her left palm and embedded it into the ground, pinning her hand in place.

Her whole body was limp once again. Kyosuke could see she had broken out into a cold sweat and her head was listlessly tilted to the side. Her eyes were open and fixed in an unfocused gaze at the kunai through her hand.

Reaching up, Kyosuke felt the tender flesh on his neck. Her grip had lasted only a moment but it was a moment he actually feared for his life. It was the same sort of fear he had in his heart when he was a boy, facing his whore of a mother.

"Kyosuke-sama!" the voice called again.

"Do your job and leave me be!" he ordered, not turning to look at his subordinate.

His voice had been hoarse and there had been a slight shake in it. Anger balled in his stomach. Kyosuke grabbed the woman's hakama ties and yanked them hard, untying them.

-------------------------------------

Aoshi followed the ninja carrying Sakura through the forest. The man wasn't too far ahead of him and Aoshi was gaining on him. Unsheathing his kodachi, Aoshi planted his feet on the branch of a tree and pushed himself off hard, sending his body flying towards the ninja. He slashed at the tree the ninja landed on and watched it splinter to pieces and the ninja fall to the ground.

Landing next to him, Aoshi went immediately to check on Sakura. When he rolled the body over he found himself staring at a dead man, not Sakura.

A decoy.

The ninja tried to escape by picking himself up off the forest floor and attempting to jump to the trees again. Unfortunately Aoshi noticed the movement and lashed out his leg, catching the ninja in the head and sending the man sprawling. The ninja landed on his back with a hard impact and immediately started sitting up. Aoshi took a few strides over to the man and stepped on his chest forcing him back on the ground. Before the ninja had a chance to arm himself Aoshi had the tip of his sword pressed to the man's neck.

"Where is she?" Aoshi demanded.

The ninja was silent. Aoshi sliced the mask off his face to reveal a young man around 19 years of age.

"Where is she?"

Silence.

Aoshi applied more force on the man's chest.

"Last chance. Where is she?"

Silence.

Aoshi knew a well trained ninja when he saw one. The man would kill himself before he uttered a word. Aoshi stepped off the ninja then hit him hard in the face, knocking him out.

In that same instant, Aoshi heard a scream piercing the forest. Without a backward glance, Aoshi started toward the origin.

Running through the forest Aoshi resheathed his swords and picked up his pace. He had promised Kenshin he would get Sakura back. When he had originally split the group up he had chosen Sakura as his partner and that meant he would look out for her and protect her where he could. So far he had failed to do that. She had fallen into a trap and found herself surrounded by the enemy. She had fought a battle against 10 samurai and aggravated her already bad injury even further. She had been taken by the enemy directly in front of the strongest men in all of Japan.

Obviously this squad of Shinsengumi were well prepared and well organized.

Aoshi moved through the forest with ease. His footfalls were silent, a reminder of his lifetime of training. His speed caused him to nearly pass over the blue colour peaking up between the grasses of the forest floor. He backtracked slightly and moved over to the object. He leaned down and picked up the discarded blue haori only to discover it had blood on it.

A twig snapped behind Aoshi causing him to whirl around quickly and unsheath one of his swords. Standing only 20 feet away with a terrified expression on her face was a young girl. Her kimono was dirty and torn, her face was smudged with dirt, and her eyes were wide with fear. She had frozen in shock at the sight of Aoshi for a moment.

She hesitated only a moment before turning and running away. A terrified yelp erupted from her when she tripped and fell to her knees. Aoshi went to help her.

"Please don't take me back there!" she cried, struggling to stand up.

"You're one of the women?" Aoshi asked. The girl got back to her feet and tried to run again but Aoshi reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her dead.

"Please! Don't!" she cried.

"Midori!" another female voice called. Aoshi turned to see Misao and Yahiko approaching them.

"Misao-san!" Midori cried in relief. Aoshi dropped the girls arm and watched as she stumbled over to Misao and caught the young ninja in a hug. Misao's face was a mix of relief and confusion.

"Midori! How did you manage to stay hidden?" Misao asked.

"I hid in some thick bushes and stayed there until the fighting got closer." Midori cried. Misao felt the girl's tears soak her clothes and neck. Midori wasn't strong willed like Kaoru and Misao, so the events in her life over the last few days were very traumatizing.

"Why are you here?" Aoshi asked.

"We heard the scream." Yahiko replied. Aoshi looked at the boy and noticed he was staring at the ninja's hand which still had a grip on the blue haori.

"Midori, did you just scream?" Misao asked. When the scream had echoed across the forest it had been hard to tell who had emitted it. It had definitely been a woman, so it was automatically assumed it had been Sakura. But Misao was now second guessing that conclusion since she had found Midori.

"It wasn't me. I don't want to go back with those men. But it was really close by to where I was hiding." Midori replied. She still clung to Misao as if the ninja was her lifeline.

"Where were you hiding?" Aoshi asked. He wanted to ask why Misao and Yahiko had left the others, but he knew the answer; they had heard the scream and went to investigate. Sometimes Misao was so bullheaded it was a wonder she was still alive. It was one of Misao's traits that Aoshi hated the most.

And one he found the most endearing.

Midori looked up at Misao who nodded to her in reassurance.

"Over there." Midori replied, extending her arm and pointing off to her right.

"Bring Midori back to the others. I'll get Sakura and..."

"No." Misao interrupted Aoshi. Her tone was firm and unwavering. Aoshi looked at Misao and was silently surprised.

"I'm going with you."

Aoshi knew when to argue with Misao. That moment was not one of them.

"Fine. Just stay back a little in case there's an ambush." Aoshi replied. Misao nodded once and watched Aoshi head in the direction Midori had pointed in.

"Yahiko, bring Midori back to Saito and see if he can meet up with his..." Misao said.

"No!" Midori cried fearfully.

"Midori."

"No! I want to stay with you!" Midori said. Her expression was full of fear. Misao and Yahiko exchanged looks. Yahiko gave a slight nod to Misao. Feeling apprehension, Misao signed, resigned to bringing the girl with her.

"Okay, but stay between Yahiko and I. We'll protect you." Misao replied. Midori nodded. The three set off into the forest, following Aoshi's trail.

Aoshi charged ahead, knowing he was being a little more brazen than usual. However he also knew that it would be better if he was ambushed before Misao and the others caught up. At least then he would have the chance to defeat some enemies before she charged in and tried to rescue him.

Continuing his pace through the forest, Aoshi soon found the woman he had been searching for.

He found Sakura.

His pace slowed as he approached the body on the ground. She was lying on her back with her arms spread out to her sides. Aoshi's steps faltered as he drew closer to her, and could see her fully.

When he did he was glad he was the finder, and not Kenshin.

Her eyes were open, but gazing to the side in an unfocused stare. The bandages that had covered her entire torso were sliced off and her hakama was undone and disheveled. Her bare upper body allowed Aoshi to see the full extent of the injury at her side. He could see the heavy bruising and knew that she had several broken ribs and her fighting had only hurt her more. Aoshi also noted that her left arm was pinned to the ground by a kunai that was embedded through her hand.

She looked like a woman who had been ravished.

Aoshi placed the haori he still carried over her body. Leaning down he reached over and grabbed the kunai. Being as gentle as possible he pulled the kunai out of her hand, freeing her.

The pain that ripped through Sakura when the kunai was pulled out of her hand helped focus her mind and body on the pain she was feeling. Forcing her heavy arms to move Sakura reached up and grabbed her assailant by the neck.

Aoshi wasn't expecting the movement and just when he pulled the kunai out Sakura snapped into motion and grabbed his throat in a deadly choke hold. Her glazed eyes swung up towards his face and he saw them change to sharp awareness. She blinked and immediately released him. Her arms fell helplessly back to the ground with a dull thud. Aoshi sat back on his heels, a hand at his offended throat. He could almost feel the bruises forming on his neck as he stared at the woman lying next to him.

Sakura was extraordinarily strong.

Aoshi kept his eyes on Sakura. She had closed her eyes and was breathing slowly and evenly. The pair was silent for several minutes.

"Good thing you found me and not Kenshin." Sakura finally said.

Aoshi looked down at the woman lying prone on the ground. She certainly looked like something horrible had happened to her. But her tone was suggesting otherwise.

"What happened?" he asked. Sakura took in some cleansing breaths. Her side was killing her, her left hand was bleeding and her whole body felt battered. The pain was more exhausting than the poison. But it was the pain that gave her the ability to keep her mind about her when the poisons were doing what they could to make her groggy and unresponsive.

"Never mind that, where's Kenshin?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

"He's back with Kaoru." Aoshi replied, sitting back on his heels.

Sakura finally felt strong enough to sit up. She struggled but she managed. Taking the haori she put it back on and wrapped it around her upper body. She used some of her ruined bandages to tie it shut tightly. The poison in her body was slowly starting to wear off but the fact that she felt so helpless was a little annoying.

"Good, I was never the target. I was the decoy. He's after Kaoru." Sakura said. Aoshi didn't move an inch. It was a surprise that they were after Kaoru after all the hard work they had done to kidnap Sakura. But it made sense. The new shinsengumi captain was smarter than originally thought. He thought the same way Enishi did. The best way to torture a man is by making him think something horrible happened. Mental torture was a better tool than physical torture. Especially self inflicted mental torture.

But Aoshi knew what kind of man Kenshin was. As long as someone was in need of his help he would do anything in his power to save them and there was no doubt that Kenshin heard Sakura's scream a while ago.

"Sakura!"

The voice that called her name caused Sakura's blood to run cold. Turning, Sakura and Aoshi laid eyes on Kenshin.

"Oh God." Sakura whispered.

-----------------------------------

Kaoru, Saito, and Hiko were moving through the forest much slower than normal. Kaoru's leg had been patched up again by Misao, but this time the wound was causing much more pain than previously, making movement very difficult for Kaoru.

When the scream echoed through the trees minutes beforehand, Kenshin had been walking with the group. He had looked troubled but he remained at Kaoru's side. It had been Kaoru who forced him to leave. She had insisted that he was the only one who could save Sakura. He knew her better than anyone and if she had been hurt again then he would have been the one to help her.

So Kaoru forced Kenshin to go get Sakura back.

Forced was the best word. It had taken longer than normal to convince Kenshin to go help someone in need. He had been adamant about staying at Kaoru's side, putting a lot of trust in Aoshi to get Sakura back.

But Kaoru had convinced him, stating that Hiko and Saito were plenty of protection. And they were, the 13th master of the hiten mitsurugi style and the strongest shinsengumi captain from the revolution were quite possibly the greatest bodyguards to ever exist.

"You put a lot of faith in my baka-deshi." Hiko stated. Kaoru looked up at the broad back of the man walking in front of her.

"You should too. You did teach him everything he knows." Kaoru remarked.

"He is an excellent swordsman, I will give him that. But he's still an idiot." Hiko retorted back. Saito gave a snort behind Kaoru and she glared at him over her shoulder.

"Why do you think he's an idiot?" Kaoru asked finally. That question had burned in her mind since she first met Hiko Seijiro almost a year ago.

"Because it took him 4 years of killing, and another 11 years of protecting for him to finally figure out the purpose of the hiten mitsurugi ryu. Because it took every second of his training, from the first swing of his sword to learning the final secret, for him to finally understand where a man's true power comes from. Because he has been a thorn in my side since I picked him up over 20 years ago."

"That's how fathers feel towards their sons." Kaoru responded quietly. The statement caused Hiko to stop dead in his tracks. Kaoru came up behind him and stopped, then Saito followed suit. The police officer had been quiet during the whole conversation. But when the three people stopped, Kaoru heard the tell tale flick of a blade being pushed out of its sheath by a thumb come from behind her.

"Left." Saito said.

"Ahead too." Hiko replied.

Kaoru had thought it was her statement that had caused Hiko to stop, until she heard that. She looked to her left and then ahead of her and only saw trees and greenery. The sky was darkening as dusk approached rapidly. Suddenly an arm came from behind and wrapped around her waist. She felt herself hauled against Saito's chest in the same instant he leapt into the air carrying her with him. Just a second after they jumped, a stick of dynamite landed where they had been standing and exploded.

"Where are they getting all this dynamite?" Saito growled when he landed back on the ground away from the blast.

"The better question is how much do they have left?" Hiko responded landing next to Saito and Kaoru. Hiko drew his sword and blocked the kunai that were flying through the air towards them.

"Leave me here! I'm slowing you down!" Kaoru ordered, trying to get out of Saito's grip. He still held her close using only one arm but it was locked tight and it was not letting go.

"Yeah right, last thing I need is Kenshin nattering in my ear for leaving you." Hiko muttered. He resheathed his sword and nodded at Saito. Kaoru felt the arm around her waist weaken its grip and Saito released her. Before she had a moment to think, Hiko bent down and picked Kaoru up only to sling her over his shoulder. "I leave them to you." He said to Saito. Turning on his heal Hiko left the other samurai to take care of their opponents.

"You're just going to leave him!" Kaoru exclaimed from her position.

"He can take care of himself." Hiko replied, his long strides were eating up the earth as he ran through the trees.

"Is it really necessary for you to carry me like this?" Kaoru asked. Not only was it a little embarrassing, but with every step Hiko took Kaoru was jostled enough to bounce up and down on Hiko's shoulders. Every step caused her a lot of pain, his shoulders were harder than anything she ever felt!

"You would only slow me down if I carried you any other way." Hiko replied.

"What have you got under there, steel shoulders?" Kaoru grunted. Hiko had bounced her enough to cause her to be short of breath from the impact.

"Counterweights. They're attached to this cloak. It's part of my training." Hiko replied and continued running. Kaoru's eyes widened. Counterweights! She had seen Hiko Seijiro in action before. And it had been when he wore his cloak. He had been amazingly fast and incredibly strong when he fought Fuji of the Juppongatana.

Just how strong was this man!

Kaoru's thoughts about Hiko's strength were dashed when she caught sight of something in the bushes as they ran past.

"Stop! Stop!" Kaoru shouted. Hiko came to a stop instantly, jarring Kaoru even more and causing her to grunt in pain.

"What?"

"Go back! I saw something!" Kaoru gasped, trying to catch her breath. Hiko heard her attempt at breathing and set her back on her feet. They were well enough away from Saito and his battle, which was most likely over with by that point in time, he felt it was safe enough to put her back on her feet.

Kaoru regained her footing and immediately backtracked to the area she had seen the object. Pushing the bushes and foliage back, Kaoru picked her way through while Hiko stood back and watched with detached interest. He watched her stop and go several times until she bent over and picked up a sword.

Hiko immediately recognized it. It was Sakura's sword.

To Kaoru the blade was heavy. She had picked up swords before, plenty of times. But this one was strangely heavy. How a samurai had the ability to wield it was beyond Kaoru. She felt better holding Kenshin's sword which felt much lighter to her.

"That's Sakura's sword." Hiko said, coming up beside Kaoru.

"They must have thrown it away." Kaoru said, speaking of the men who had kidnapped her. "So she couldn't possibly protect herself from them."

"Sakura is one woman you don't need to worry about." Hiko muttered. The small cut on his forehead stung ever so slightly. It wasn't a bad cut, just a small slice in his skin. What still made him angry was the state Sakura was currently in. It was obvious to everyone from the beginning that she was injured, but as far as Hiko knew, only two people knew the full extent of her injury.

"Hiko-san. Sakura is a strong samurai but she's also badly injured and unarmed against who knows how many men right now." Kaoru said.

Hiko looked down at the woman next to him and grudgingly admitted that she was right. But he didn't say it out loud. Instead he took the sword from her grasp and put it in the ties at his waist, next to his own sword. He could smell the stale blood from it.

"Let's keep moving. You want to catch up with my baka-deshi, right?" Hiko grunted. Turning he started walking away at a slow pace. Kaoru was relieved that he didn't sling her over his shoulder and followed behind him.

Hiko continued to walk again when he felt a small pain in his neck. The last conscious though he had was a curse on himself for letting his guard down. Then Hiko collapsed under the influence of the poison dart.

Kaoru stood back a few paces and watched the great Hiko Seijiro waver on his feet for a moment before he crashed to the ground. Kaoru took two steps towards the fallen man when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. Reaching up, her fingers came across a hard cold object sticking in her neck. Pulling it out, she brought it to her eyes and found herself staring at a spiral dart. Her vision went dark and she collapsed to the forest floor.

Several seconds went past before ninja started to appear in the area where both Hiko and Kaoru were unconscious. The only way they could possibly get to Hiko Seijiro had been from a distance. A very far distance. It had been a long shot at best. The ninja had chosen their best shooter and put him at a far distance from the pair, far enough that the samurai wouldn't sense the shooter, or the small dart. It had worked.

"Are you sure he's out?" one asked the other.

"Yes. I used four times the normal amount." The shooter replied.

"Four times? That's enough to kill him!" the first exclaimed.

"That man was one of our greatest threats. We're better off if he's dead."

The shooter went to Kaoru and picked up her limp form. He was sure to get the highest commendation from Kyosuke-sama for successfully retrieving the woman. Leaving Hiko sprawled on the ground, the ninja left the area and headed back to the rendezvous where their comrades were waiting.

-----------------

A.N. You got that right! ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER!

Muahahahaha. Until next time. :)

Sakura-san


	19. The Past Returns ch18

Disclaimer: RK is not mine. I borrowed the characters for my story.

A.N. R&R!

Enjoy!

-----------------------------

"Kenshin, what the hell are you doing here!" Sakura exclaimed, attempting to stand up.

Kenshin saw the tattered appearance of Sakura, and the bandages that were spread around her and knew in a heartbeat what had happened. White hot rage and stomach churning guilt seized his whole body. She had been attacked again, and he had been helpless.

"What happened?" Kenshin asked quietly. Aoshi noted the change in the man's exterior. Kenshin, who normally seemed passive and kind had transformed into aggressive and angry.

At that moment, Shinomori Aoshi saw what had struck fear in the hearts of men throughout the entire revolution.

Sakura looked over at her brother and rolled her eyes.

"Nothing! Now answer my damn question, Himura!" She exclaimed angrily. Sakura was sick of being treated like a weakling. She was sick of being in pain. And she was sick of feeling helpless. Pushing all physical pain to the side Sakura rose to her feet and fixed an angry glare towards her brother.

Kenshin watched Sakura struggle to her feet. He knew she was in pain and he also knew that she was angry because she was in pain. The anger he had felt increased when Sakura rolled her eyes at him, and then yelled at him! The last time this had happened to Sakura, Kenshin had to fight her in order to get her to open up. He wouldn't hesitate to do it again this time.

"Not until you answer mine, Hideki!" Kenshin replied. By this point, Sakura was on her feet and standing directly in front of Kenshin. Aoshi was still sitting on his heels looking up at the two former manslayers go head to head against each other.

"I did! Nothing happened!"

"I don't believe you!"

"We don't have time for this!" Aoshi exclaimed. The two samurai turned their attention to the ninja who rose to his feet next to the arguing couple. "Where's Kaoru."

"She told me to go find Sakura after we heard the scream. She's back with Saito and Shisho." Kenshin answered.

"We have to find her. So settle your petty argument another time and let's go. Sakura was only a decoy." Aoshi said firmly. Patience was a virtue for Aoshi. He was an immensely patient man, most of the time. But he was loosing all patience with the couple who was in his company. They were acting like siblings.

"Decoy?" Kenshin asked.

"There's nothing worse then mental torture, Battousai." Aoshi replied, looking over his shoulder at the shorter man.

Kenshin was all too familiar with the concept of mental torture. For 11 years he tortured himself with the thoughts of the people he had killed in the revolution. His cross scar was a constant reminder of the one he shouldn't have killed. It was the physical manifestation of his mental torture on himself. There was also the incident with Enishi and Kaoru's death. He had sealed himself away for a time, mentally torturing himself for being unable to protect Kaoru.

The concept of mental torture was not unknown to Kenshin.

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place for Kenshin. Sakura's kidnapping, and Kyosuke's threat of rape had been part of the ruse to have Kenshin distracted. The rurouni's mind had been on Sakura since she had been taken. He had thought only of what had happened to her in the past and what would happen should she be touched like that again. It had been a trap.

He had walked right into it.

"Kaoru." He whispered. Kenshin turned on his heel and started back in the direction he had come, heading back towards the last place he had been with Kaoru. He knew Sakura and Aoshi were right behind him.

The group raced through the forest at top speed. Aoshi glanced over at Sakura who was keeping pace and noticed she was wrapping her injured left hand with her bandages. Her injuries were forgotten and Aoshi saw the determination of a manslayer reflecting in her eyes. She had earned his respect.

Something Aoshi did not give easily.

"Where's your sword?" Kenshin asked Sakura over his shoulder.

"I don't know. They must have taken it and dropped it somewhere. I will get it back." Sakura replied firmly.

A whistle pierced the forest and caused the group to stop dead in their tracks. Kenshin swung his eyes in the direction from which it came and he spotted Saito roughly a hundred feet away. The police officer was cleaning his gleaming sword with a cloth and stood in the centre of a group of unconscious ninja. Or dead ninja, with Saito it was either way.

What had Kenshin's blood running cold was the fact that Saito was alone.

"Where's Kaoru!" Kenshin exclaimed, heading towards Saito.

"She's with Hiko. We were separated when we were ambushed." Saito replied.

"Where did they go?" Sakura asked.

Saito indicated the direction with his thumb. Without another word, the three set off in the proper direction. Saito remained back with his unconscious ninja. He was not concerned with the Kamiya woman. He had another mission to complete.

Throwing one last look at the group of men at his feet Saito turned and walked away, heading in the opposite direction than Kenshin and the others.

Kenshin was suffering from tunnel vision. He was only thinking about getting to Kaoru and he was praying the whole time she was still safe with Hiko.

As she ran, Sakura was scanning the entire area. She was looking for any sign of Kaoru or Hiko. She noticed the huge form of the swordmaster as it lay amidst the heavy foliage of the forest.

"Seijiro!" she called, heading towards the man. She knew something was wrong since he was actually lying on the ground. Kenshin and Aoshi followed suit and ran towards Hiko.

Sakura reached the man first and found him out cold on the ground. He had a small spiral dart sticking out of his neck and Sakura pulled it out. She recognized it as the same kind of dart used on her to knock her out.

"Seijiro! Seijiro! Wake up! Open your eyes, Seijiro!" Sakura called out as she slapped his face. The man let out a low groan which was the only sign of life he was showing. "Wake up you idiot, I don't have time to wait for you!"

"Who said you could call me by my first name. It's Hiko-sama to you, girl." Hiko grunted. He was barely conscious and he didn't open his eyes as he spoke.

"Where's Kaoru, Seijiro?" Sakura asked. She knew how it annoyed him when she called him by his first name. An annoyed Hiko was a responsive Hiko so she kept it up.

"She's right here." Hiko replied. His eyes were still shut so Hiko had no idea what was the truth.

Kenshin's heart hit his feet.

Kaoru was gone.

--------------------------------

Misao, Midori, and Yahiko made their way through the forest slowly. Midori was not a fast walker and she was still very frightened by her surroundings. She stayed very close to Misao who had taken on the role of her protector.

"Any sign of them?" Yahiko asked from the rear.

"No." Misao replied. They were still following Aoshi in search of Sakura. Misao had watched her commander depart with more speed than usual. She knew he was running faster than normal in order to protect them from any enemies who lay ahead. The fact that they hadn't caught up to him was a good thing and a bad thing.

Good thing because that meant Aoshi had yet to come across any enemies to battle.

Bad thing because that meant Aoshi still hadn't found Sakura.

Misao hoped they would find something soon.

Misao had patched Kaoru's leg up again, warning her friend not to fight anymore since it may cause her wound to open again. She had followed Aoshi into the forest in hopes of helping him. Yahiko had come with her for the very same reason. He wanted to do his part. Sakura seemed to mean a lot to Kenshin and he was starting to feel fond towards her too. Sakura seemed to be fairly strong but Yahiko had yet to witness it. That being said, Kenshin trusted and cared for the strange woman, and that made her okay in Yahiko's books.

"I'm sorry, I'm slowing you down, aren't I?" Midori asked quietly. Yahiko looked at the girl walking in front of him and felt sorry for her. She was truly terrified. Her hand was clutched into the back of Misao's uniform so the ninja was never far from her.

"Don't worry. I know Aoshi-sama is just fine. I'm still glad that we found you!" Misao replied, smiling over her shoulder at Midori. Yahiko knew the smile was fake, for the most part. Misao was glad to have found Midori, yes. But she was very worried about Aoshi.

"I'm glad too. What's that over there?" Midori asked, changing the subject. Yahiko followed the direction of Midori's eyes and saw a pile of white cloth. He separated from the two girls and headed for the pile. Misao was behind him with Midori still following close behind.

"These are bandages!" Yahiko exclaimed, holding up one of the strips.

"They look like they were cut off." Misao replied taking the strip out of Yahiko's hand and examining it.

"Sakura wore bandages, do you think they were hers?" Yahiko asked.

"I know they were hers. Since I'm the one who cut them off." A voice replied. Misao whirled around to face Kyosuke. "They left a little while ago. I think they realized that Sakura was never my target." Misao's eyes widened at that statement.

"You're after Kaoru." Misao whispered.

"Correction, I have Kaoru."

Above Kyosuke's head, a ninja appeared with the limp form of Kaoru draped over his shoulder.

Misao's heart stopped. Yahiko froze in his place. Kyosuke already had Kaoru.

"No." Yahiko said.

"Yahiko." Misao warned. She knew Yahiko would not deal well with Kaoru in the hands of that man. She was worried and scared for her friend, but she knew she had to keep her head about her when it came to being in the company of Kyosuke. He was a slippery man, and smarter than anyone had originally thought.

"No!" Yahiko cried. He pulled out his shinai and charged the enemy. Yahiko was angry. His only goal was to land a blow on Kyosuke. Just a single blow would be enough for Yahiko. Just one blow.

It would never happen. Kyosuke snapped his fingers and two more ninja appeared in the area. One stood in front of Kyosuke, guarding his master. The other appeared directly in front of Yahiko and gave one swift kick to the boy's head, sending his small frame flying across the ground.

Misao watched Yahiko bounce off the ground, the shinai flew out of his hand and Yahiko came to a stop and didn't get up.

"Yahiko!" Misao screamed. The scream echoed across the forest. The voice of fear was apparent in her voice. Yahiko took a hard hit and he did not look good.

Kyosuke had a small smile playing on his lips as he looked over at the body of Yahiko as it lay unmoving on the ground. His plan was working perfectly. He had only one obstacle left to deal with and then he could make a clean get away with his new treasure.

In a lightning fast motion Misao pulled out several kunai and launched them at the ninja holding Kaoru. It made no difference. The ninja that had kicked Yahiko across the forest stopped several of the small projectiles with a sword.

"Let her go!" Misao exclaimed.

"Oh, but I've gone through so much trouble to get her. Battousai has his woman back. The great beast of a man is dead and that cop has been taken care of." Kyosuke replied.

At that moment the ninja carrying Kaoru disappeared into thin air, taking the unconscious girl with him. The man that had hurt Yahiko also retreated, leaving Misao with Kyosuke, the last ninja, an unconscious Yahiko and Midori.

"I only have one last threat. Which will be gone in a matter of moments." Kyosuke said.

---------------------------

Aoshi stood next to Kenshin. The two men were standing over Hiko who was still lying on the ground and Sakura who was crouched down next to the large man.

"Are you going to get up or what?" Sakura asked.

"I can't move." Hiko replied.

"Fine. Which way did they go?"

"I don't know. I can't move so I wouldn't be able to point even if I did know where they went"

The conversation was going in circles. Hiko still hadn't opened his eyes let alone move. He was still lying on the ground.

"Well you're a lot of help." Sakura retorted, sitting back on her heels.

"You want help? Your sword is at my waist. Take it and go find the girl." Hiko replied. He opened his eyes to look up at the woman next to him. Sakura leaned over and pulled her sword out of the ties at his waist. She was thankful to have her weapon back and she smiled in relief as she pulled the blade from the sheath to check for damage. "You look like hell." Hiko said. Sakura looked back down at Hiko, her smile vanishing.

"At least I'm mobile."

With that Sakura stood up and looked over at Kenshin and Aoshi. Kenshin was looking very nervous and definitely wanted to leave in search of Kaoru. Aoshi remained unreadable but Sakura was willing to bet her life that he wanted nothing more then to go looking for Misao.

"You two go look. I'll stay here and protect the idiot until he can move again." Sakura said. Both men nodded in agreement and immediately took off in search of the women who were the most important things in their lives.

"I am not an idiot." Hiko grumbled. Sakura watched as Kenshin and Aoshi disappeared in the trees then turned back to Hiko. "And I don't need to be protected."

"No, you're not. And yes you do."

"So, did anything happen?" Hiko asked. Sakura knew he was asking the same question Kenshin had earlier. It was a question that she knew everyone would ask and most likely no one would believe her answer.

"No." Sakura replied. She was ready for another argument. Instead Hiko only closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Good."

The tone he said it with had Sakura looking back down at him in surprise. It had such finality that made her think that if something had happened to her Hiko Seijiro would have done something about it.

"I didn't know you cared."

Hiko only grunted in response and went back to trying to get himself standing.

Kenshin and Aoshi made their way through the forest. They weren't sure where Kaoru had been taken, but they were going to find her. Aoshi knew that Misao was close, so the two men headed back in the direction they came, heading to where they had found Sakura. Misao was probably there at that point. If they didn't come across any samurai or ninja by the time they found Misao then they planned to head back to the house where the women had been held captive. It was a long shot but they had nothing to go by.

"Will he be okay?" Aoshi asked.

"If I know my Shisho, we should be more worried about Sakura." Kenshin replied. Aoshi nodded in agreement. That much was true. Hiko was very much a force to be reckoned with, but Sakura seemed the type to have the ability to deal with him without getting hurt in the process.

"You have a lot of faith in her." Aoshi commented.

"Of course, she's my sister." Kenshin replied offhandedly. Aoshi's attention was drawn because of that comment. Of course a familial relationship made the most sense when it came to Kenshin and Sakura. She stood toe to toe with him and argued until red in the face. She had no fear when it came to dealing with Kenshin.

"Brother and sister." Aoshi repeated under his breath. It was the relationship he had tried to convince himself that was between himself and Misao. When she was a little girl that relationship was obvious. But now, ever since he got back from Shishio's lair the year before, Misao had been different to him somehow.

"There!" Kenshin exclaimed.

They had reached the same area Sakura had been left drugged and half dressed. This time, there were several people in the clearing. Yahiko was charging a shinsengumi, when two more men showed up. There was a large, oddly shaped ninja in the trees. Aoshi and Kenshin came to a standstill about 100 feet away from the small group of people. Kenshin watched in horror as Yahiko was kicked in the head and sent sprawling across the ground.

"Yahiko!" Misao's fearful scream echoed to their ears. Kenshin knew the young man was out for the count when his shinai left his grasp. He had seen Yahiko take tough blows before, but it was only in the worst of circumstances that he actually released his weapon. Kenshin felt his stomach clench with worry.

Misao shot several kunai off only to fail to hit her mark. The oddly shaped ninja left, and the ninja who had kicked Yahiko also retreated.

The girl who stood behind Misao took a step closer to her protector. She put her hand on Misao's back and the young ninja visibly stiffened. Aoshi watched Misao slowly turn around and face the girl.

Aoshi's heart leapt into his throat when Misao's legs gave out under her and she collapsed to the forest floor. The girl moved to stand over Misao and something caught the light of the setting sun.

The whole scene moved in slow motion. The girl raised the knife high over her head and brought it down towards the ground where Misao lay. The sound of the blade striking true was barely audible, but to Aoshi it sounded like an explosion.

He felt his heart stopped beating.

"MISAO!"

---------------------------

Okina stood in the back garden of the Aoiya. He could still see the smoke in the air from the huge explosion that had happened before. The police had been mobilized and were heading into the forest towards the source of the smoke. They were bringing water with them to douse the fires that could be seen spreading over the side of the mountain. Dusk was rapidly spreading and the night was getting closer.

The families of the kidnapped women were inside the Aoiya anxiously awaiting the return of their draughters, or sisters, or whatever the relation. Okina had excused himself shortly after the explosion and left to be by himself. He was equally as worried as all the family members inside his inn. A part of his family was on that mountain as well.

It had been around a week since he had seen Misao. The life she brought to the Aoiya was missing, making the Inn a very depressing place to be. The light that was her life brightened everyone who ever met her.

"Okina." Omasu called. Turning, the man glanced over at another member of his family as she walked towards him. She was carrying a tray with a cup of steaming tea on it. She had an encouraging smile on her face. "Don't worry. Aoshi-sama will bring her back."

"Thank you, Omasu." Okina replied, smiling. He reached out to take the cup, instead the pottery cracked and shattered into several pieces. The tea spilled out of the cup and covered the tray, spilling over the edges and dripping onto the ground.

Okina and Omasu watched the hot liquid dripping to the ground and they both felt a cold chill wash over them. Okina turned away from Omasu and looked back towards the mountainside and the black smoke that still billowed.

"Misao... Aoshi..."

-------------------------------

A.N. Yeah, I know. Another cliffhanger. But it's okay, you know that I usually update within a few days so its not like you have that long to wait for the next chapter:)

Anyways, hope you liked it. Until next time!

Sakura-san


	20. The Past Returns ch19

Disclaimer: RK and its characters are not mine. I merely borrowed them for my story.

A.N. Welcome to Chapter 19! I decided to put you out of your misery and update much sooner than I normally would have. I know the last chapter was the worst of all cliffhangers. I promise it won't be any worse than that. Well, to me it won't be any worse than that. Hehe ;

For you Kenshin fans, he is a bit of a blockhead in some parts of this story, which can be considered OC or not. He is distracted because he's got Kaoru and Sakura to worry himself sick over after all. Not to worry though, he will shine before the story ends. :)

R&R!

Enjoy!

----------------------------

The Past Returns – Chapter 19

Kenshin's legs were moving of their own accord. Aoshi's shout had alerted the people in the clearing of their presence. The ninja grabbed the girl with the knife and disappeared with the shinsengumi right next to them leaving Misao and Yahiko alone in the clearing.

Aoshi passed Kenshin as they closed the distance between them and the clearing. His heart was pounding and he had broken into a cold sweat. There was an odd lump in his throat as he approached the place where Misao was lying. Even before he made it to her side he could smell her blood.

Kenshin left the fallen girl to her commander and went to Yahiko. He found the young boy lying face down on the ground. His shinai was about 10 feet away from him and there was dirt all over his clothes. Kenshin rolled Yahiko over to see the large gash on his head that was bleeding profusely. Kenshin mopped up the blood with his sleeve and held it to the gash on Yahiko's head to stop the blood.

"Kenshin?" Yahiko mumbled. The boy slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring up at the man he respected most of all. Kenshin had a worried expression on his face as he looked at Yahiko. The first thing in Yahiko's mind was his teacher. "Where's Kaoru?"

"I don't know. Are you okay?" Kenshin asked. He kept the pressure on Yahiko's head and hoped he wasn't causing too much pain.

"She was just here. That Kyosuke has her. I tried to stop them Kenshin. I'm sorry. They got away. I'm so sorry." Yahiko whispered. Kenshin watched his eyes close but not before he caught the trace of tears in Yahiko's eyes. For the time Kenshin had known Yahiko, the boy had kept up the appearance of being tough and reliable. But the truth was Yahiko was a 12 year old boy who felt inadequate and weak at that moment.

"Yahiko, we'll get her back. I promise." Kenshin replied. Yahiko only nodded in response. He felt horrible for letting that man get away with Kaoru. But he also knew that Kenshin would keep his word and Kaoru would come back home.

"Where's Misao?" Yahiko asked. Kenshin looked up towards Aoshi.

Aoshi came to a dead stop and fell to his knees next to Misao. There was blood everywhere. The front of her uniform was covered in blood. The greenery of the forest floor had spots of blood on it. Aoshi had fumbled with Misao's uniform, trying to find her wounds.

"Aoshi-sama." Misao whispered. Aoshi focused on her eyes as she tried to open them. It took a great amount of effort but her eyes opened and gazed up at Aoshi.

Relieved that she was conscious and looking at him, Aoshi turned his attention to the wound. Pulling the uniform up, Aoshi exposed her abdomen to the air. The wound was straight through her bandages and glaring up at him. The blood was seeping through it at an alarming rate to Aoshi. He immediately ripped off a piece of his uniform and pressed it into the wound.

She winced as Aoshi pressed on the wound but made no sound of pain. Her only thoughts were of Kaoru. Her friend had been taken prisoner and they were wasting time on her while Kaoru needed their help.

"Kaoru-san." Misao whispered.

Aoshi looked back into Misao's eyes and could see the urgency there. There were tears of confusion, helplessness, and pain too. Aoshi watched with a heavy heart as they welled up and spilled over her lashes.

Misa was confused. Why had Midori done that? Just after she had felt the sharp blade thrust through her back, Misao heard Midori's voice take on a totally different tone.

"No one will hurt Kyosuke-sama." The girl had growled.

Kyosuke-sama. Midori has said Kyosuke-sama. Something had happened to cause the girl to change sides. She had been fearful of Kyosuke the whole time they were locked in the room back at the house. Why had she changed? What had happened to make Midori do such at thing?

"Kaoru-san... help her." Misao whispered.

"We'll get her back, Misao." Aoshi said softly. He couldn't stop himself. He reached up and brushed one of the tears off Misao's cheek. He truly hated to see her cry.

Misao felt his soft touch and cried even more. She felt incredibly helpless. Her friend was out there in the grasp of the worst kind of enemy. Midori was confused and crazed. Aoshi was worried. She couldn't do anything whatsoever. More tears fell from her eyes.

"It'll be okay, Misao." Aoshi reassured.

"Kaoru-san. Go." Misao whispered, coughing slightly and then letting out a small cry from the pain. Aoshi's eyes were back on the stab wound when Misao had said her last plea. He knew she wanted him to go get Kaoru back but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side. Glancing back up to Misao's face, Aoshi's blood ran cold.

There was blood running down her cheek, coming from her mouth.

She had coughed up blood.

"Misao." Aoshi whispered. Misao could taste the coppery blood in her mouth and she knew that she was bleeding internally.

She needed a doctor immediately, or Aoshi would be bringing her body back to the Aoiya.

------------------------

Sakura sat on the forest floor, bored out of her skull. The pain in her left hand had lessened to a dull throb. Her side still hurt whenever she breathed but she was so accustomed to it now she barely noticed. Her hakama was in tatters and the borrowed haori was letting in a breeze, giving her a slight chill. Hiko remained paralyzed on the ground right next to her.

Hiko had closed his eyes since Kenshin and Aoshi had departed. He was breathing deeply and evenly, trying everything he could to regain motor control. The drug they had used was certainly potent.

"Can you move yet?" Sakura asked impatiently.

"If I could, I would have moved by now." Hiko replied.

"It didn't take me this long to get back up after being poisoned." Sakura retorted.

"You're so scrawny they probably used a tiny speck to knock you out cold."

Silence fell between the pair once more. The conversations had gone like that since the two men departed. They would make snide remarks towards each other before reverting back to ignoring each other.

"How did you get up?" Hiko finally asked.

"I concentrated on the pain." Sakura replied.

"Must have been easy to concentrate on pain since you're covered in wounds." Hiko retorted.

"The worst of which you gave me."

Silence again.

Hiko opened his eyes and looked up past the trees to the darkening sky. Dusk had fallen and night was rapidly approaching. As he lay on the ground he thought back to the last day in his life. The girl next to him had arrived unannounced and unwelcome. She had a dark past buried so deep in her head that he had to fight her in order to get her to remember. When she did finally release the power she held he had been surprised. Such a small frail woman carried skill unmatched by any woman he ever knew.

She had fought him head on, without fear, and she had managed to land a blow on him. She was an impressive samurai.

She was also just as annoying as his baka-deshi.

Aside from the annoyance Hiko felt towards the girl next to him, he was feeling an increasing annoyance to his present situation. He could never recall a time in his life when he was helpless, and that was exactly how he felt at that moment. Helpless.

He needed to get up. He needed to move. As much as he tried, he couldn't do it. He had spent the last while trying to move a limb but he just couldn't fell them.

"You have your sword there?" Hiko asked, breaking the silence for the second time in a row.

"You gave it back to me, remember?" Sakura replied. Her sword was safely tucked between the ties of her hakama once again.

"Stab me."

"Excuse me?"

"Take your sword and stab me. I need pain to concentrate on and right now I feel none."

Not one to argue when presented with the opportunity to inflict bodily harm on Hiko Seijiro, Sakura stood up and unsheathed her sword. If Hiko wanted pain, then pain he would get. Gripping the hilt in one hand, Sakura raised the sword, blade pointed down.

Hiko gazed up at the blade hovering over his body. He was well aware of his vulnerability at that moment in time. What had him questioning his sanity was the fact that he felt no fear whatsoever. He had complete trust in the woman standing over him.

Something he thought he would never feel.

There was only one person in his life that he trusted wholeheartedly and Hiko considered that man his son.

There was no hesitation on Sakura's part. She raised the sword and brought it down swiftly. The blade sliced through Hiko's flesh and pain ripped through his body. Hiko was thankful, finally he could feel something.

-------------------------

Kaoru was aware of her surroundings for quite some time. She felt real fear for the first time since Kenshin fought Enishi. But this time the fear was purely selfish in nature. She was afraid for herself. When she had regained consciousness she couldn't move. Her whole body felt numb to her. That caused her to keep her eyes closed and keep up the charade of being unconscious.

She had first regained consciousness while draped over the shoulder of a man, most likely a ninja. She had felt herself moving swiftly and quietly through the forest. They had slowed down and then stopped dead. The ninja had walked her somewhere and then the cool evening air had turned to warm, comfortable air.

Kaoru was sure she was back inside someplace when the ninja had dumped her off his shoulder and onto something soft. She then heard him leave, and silence fell over the room. Kaoru couldn't hear anything, not the sound of the wind, nor the sound of the forest, nothing.

Several minutes passed like that, but Kaoru remained still and unmoving. It may have been silent, but the hair on the back of her neck was telling her she was not alone.

Kyosuke stood staring at the unconscious form of Kaoru. His ninja had just left him alone with his new prize. He was studying her delicate features. Her soft lips, her dark lashes resting against her cheek, her pale neck that begged to be touched.

Reaching over, Kyosuke picked up a lock of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. Her hair was silky and sensuous. He could smell her soft scent and couldn't help touching her face with his hand. Her skin was smooth and warm to the touch causing Kyosuke to long for her even more.

"I know you're awake, Kaoru-chan. Don't fake." Kyosuke whispered. Kaoru's heart slammed in her throat. She had summoned all of her willpower to force herself to stay still when Kyosuke's hand touched her cheek. His touch felt like slime to her, and when he removed his hand she felt as if her cheek was soiled... dirty...

Kaoru continued to remain as still as she possibly could. She ignored the urge to run. She ignored the urge to fight. She remained as still as she could. With Kyosuke so close to her she couldn't risk moving. He was armed while she was weaponless and felt weak. She needed time to straighten out her thoughts, regain her body movements, and find out if there was a weapon close by.

The need to claim Kaoru as his own was overwhelming. Kyosuke was struggling with himself not to do anything just yet. He wanted her to open her eyes and accept her fate.

"Kyosuke-sama. The girl wants to see you." A voice said from beyond the entrance to the room.

"Send her in." Kyosuke replied. Inwardly he sighed. The girl was becoming more of an annoyance than anything else. She had been helpful at first, but now he was questioning her involvement.

Kaoru remained still and quiet. Girl? What girl?

"Kyosuke-sama!" a girl's voice exclaimed excitedly. Kaoru recognized the voice in an instant.

Midori.

Midori entered the room behind a ninja. When the man bowed out and exited the room Midori ran across the room to stand before Kyosuke. She was showing restraint since she wanted nothing more than to launch herself into his arms.

Kyosuke looked at the girl standing before him. She had spots of blood on her kimono and on her face. She had a huge smile and sparkling eyes as she gazed up at him. He could tell that, to her, nothing else existed but him. He smiled at that thought. Women were good for more than making him money. They were also very dimwitted and easily manipulated to his every whim and desire.

"Midori-chan. I'm so glad to see you." Kyosuke said, smiling down at her. Midori nodded enthusiastically.

"I did it, Kyosuke-sama! I did it!" Midori exclaimed. She was extremely excited. Kyosuke-sama was the most important man in her whole life. He truly loved her. He had promised her a life of happiness if she helped him. He had needed her so much that he had begged for her help.

He needed her.

"Yes you did. I'm very pleased with you, Midori." Kyosuke replied.

"Thank you! I just want to please you, Kyosuke-sama. Misao was an obstacle and I'm honoured that you would choose me to kill her." Midori said.

Kaoru had remained silent up to that point. When she had heard Midori's voice she had been absolutely shocked. Midori had been helping Kyosuke! For how long? Why had she helped him? She had been terrified ever since she entered the room so many days ago. What happened?

The questions had been flying through her mind until the moment Midori had uttered those devastating words. Kaoru couldn't stop the tears from welling up and spilling out of her closed eyes.

Kyosuke smiled slightly and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Midori's forehead.

"I'm proud of you. You've helped me greatly." Kyosuke said softly. With Misao taken care of, the leader of the oniwabanshu, Shinomori Aoshi, would be no threat.

That was the final man. Shinomori, the huge man in the white cape, and the Battousai had all been equally taken care of. All other people were insignificant. They had been naïve to show up with only 5 people to help. Two of the five people were a woman and a kid, completely useless.

"Now, Midori. I need you to leave, please. I have some things I need to do with our guest." Kyosuke said, pushing Midori away from him. He took a step away and turned towards Kaoru. He saw the tears streaming down her cheeks and smiled. She was conscious and had heard about the loss of Misao. She would surrender easily now.

Midori felt a cold wash over her when Kyosuke turned his back to her and faced Kaoru. She felt disconnected from him, a feeling she didn't like one bit. She had just done something horrible for him, and all she had gotten was a simple kiss on her forehead. Kyosuke was now paying more attention to Kaoru when she herself had been the focus of all of his attention a short time ago. Midori hesitated but then complied to Kyosuke's request and left the room.

Kaoru gave up on pretending to be unconscious and opened her eyes to find herself staring up at Kyosuke. He stood smiling down at her. She also caught a quick glance of Midori. The girl wore a blood splattered kimono, there were blood spots on her face, and she was glaring at Kaoru. The look in her eyes was unlike anything Kaoru had ever seen. It was pure hatred.

"Kaoru-chan, welcome back. I trust you rested well." Kyosuke said.

"You killed her." Kaoru whispered.

"I did no such thing. I had Midori do it for me." Kyosuke replied.

"She's dead."

"Yes, she is. And now no one is coming to save you." Kyosuke sneered. "There's no one left."

Kaoru felt the cold truth in his words. No one would come for her. Kenshin would be with Sakura. Hiko was unconscious. Aoshi would be grieving over Misao. Kaoru's throat closed when she thought of Yahiko. Saito was...

Kaoru stopped. Where was Saito?

Kyosuke hadn't mentioned the police officer. Didn't he know Saito was part of the rescue effort? He knew everyone else but failed to mention Saito.

Of course just because Saito hadn't been mentioned, didn't mean he would swoop in to rescue Kaoru. He was probably somewhere in the middle of the forest smoking his cigarettes and being bored. He wouldn't come for Kaoru.

But he would come for Kyosuke.

Saito wasn't the type of man to allow such evil to continue. It was in his code of life. It was in his blood. He was somewhere in the forest coming to take care of the fake squad of shinsengumi.

There was hope for Kaoru. Saito would arrive and start randomly killing men in his path. Kaoru could use that as a distraction to get herself out of the mess she was in.

"I'm glad we could have this time together, Kaoru-san. You are a beautiful woman. It's a wonder why Battousai doesn't want you." Kyosuke said softly. Kaoru locked eyes with him once more. He removed his sword from the ties at his waist and placed it on a sword alter.

Kaoru used the opportunity to survey the room she was in. There was only one door and Midori had exited through it minutes before. Kaoru herself was on a western style bed, raised off the floor with a feather stuffed mattress. There were silk hangings on the walls, and a traditional sword alter on the other side of the room.

Kyosuke moved across the room to stand beside the bed. Looking down at Kaoru he felt the stirrings of longing again. He reached down to touch her soft cheek once more but Kaoru moved away instinctively. Kyosuke smiled. Reaching out he grabbed Kaoru's chin and hauled her face close to his own. The force of the pull almost hauled Kaoru off the bed. Kyosuke's face was mere inches from her own. She could feel his breath on her skin.

"You will learn to obey me. I have the rest of your life to teach you that." Kyosuke said.

"I would rather die."

"Death is not an option for you, my dear. You belong to me now. I control whether you live or die."

"You're vain if you believe that." Kaoru replied. She was amazed at how calm she was staying. Kyosuke's face was still inches from her own, she was his prisoner with very little hope of help being on the way, and she was still remaining calm.

Kyosuke ignored her last comment. The blue in her eyes had captivated him. There was a fire of determination and stubbornness that drew him to her. He relaxed his hold on her ever so slightly and allowed his thumb to wander over the gentle swell of her lower lip. He wanted nothing more than to taste her. Feel her lips against his own. Feel her body pressed to his. Just feel her.

Kaoru knew what he was thinking. She could see it in his eyes, and he made it even more apparent when his thumb ran over her lip. She felt like throwing up. The fear and made a ball of hot fire in her stomach, making her feel nauseous and angry all at once. One thing was for certain. She would not allow him to touch her any further.

Kyosuke leaned forward, intent of capturing Kaoru's lips with his own. He had only a few inches to cover but he never met with his intended destination. Instead Kaoru took the opportunity of distraction and jabbed Kyosuke in the throat with her hand.

The man broke away, coughing roughly and grasping at his injured throat. She had managed to use enough force to partially cut off the air flow to his lungs. Kaoru scrambled off the bed and ran for the door. Kyosuke tried to grab her kimono and stop her but he missed her. Kaoru grabbed the door and flung it open, relieved that is was unlocked.

She was met in the doorway by a ninja, and directly behind him was a worried looking Midori. The ninja was slightly surprised by the sudden emergence of Kyosuke's captive. He unsheathed the sword he carried at his waist and raised it to drive Kaoru back. Kaoru crossed her hands over her head and stopped the blade with her bare hands. She used an alternate form of the Kasshin style final move and instead of using the hilt of a boken, she used her elbow and drove it into his face with all her might.

The crunch of his nose echoed in Kaoru's ears and blood spurted all over her sleeve. The ninja fell backward and Kaoru leapt over him. The final obstacle that stood in Kaoru's way was Midori. The young girl stood between her and the door out of her comfortable prison. Kaoru moved to get around her, instead Midori moved with surprising speed.

There was the flash of something shiny and then pain exploded in Kaoru's uninjured leg.

Kaoru stopped dead in her tracks. Her legs gave out under her and she collapsed to a sitting position on the floor. She looked up at Midori in surprise then back down to her leg.

The hilt of a knife blade was sticking out of her leg. The rest of the blade was buried deep in the muscles of her thigh. Blood was seeping out of the wound, soaking the silk of her kimono.

Midori was shocked at her own actions for a fraction of a second. Then the gasping coughs of her beloved Kyosuke broke through to her. Midori bent down and pulled the knife roughly from Kaoru's leg, causing the injured woman to cry out in pain. She raised it over her head and stared down at Kaoru with a crazed look.

"No one will hurt Kyosuke-sama." She whispered and brought the knife down swiftly.

---------------

A.N. Muaha, yes I enjoy cliffhangers. But it keeps the reader interested! Really it does:) Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. Not much action, well Kaoru got to kick some butt and that's always good. But no worries, still action to come. I will update again in a few days.

Until next time!

Sakura-san


	21. The Past Returns ch20

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine, I merely borrowed the characters for my story.

A.N. Welcome to the next chapter! As promised, we get to see some action from some important people. They rock.

R&R!

Enjoy!

----------------------------------

The Past Returns – chapter 20

Kaoru's whole life actually flashed before her eyes. She had heard that when faced with certain death, a person remembered moments in their life with startling clarity. It was true.

She remembered when she was a small girl, she had been a bit of a tomboy and was climbing trees. She had slipped one day and fallen. Her father had been there and he caught her before she hit the ground.

She remembered the many nights she had stayed up late training by herself. She remembered the day her father had given her assistant master status.

She remembered the day the officer came to her home and told her that her father had died in the war. She had cried for a week.

She remembered the day she first laid eyes on Kenshin, he had been a scrawny man who didn't appear to hold a lot of power in his small body. She had challenged him, only to watch him fall into a pile of garbage.

She remembered meeting Yahiko, Misao, Aoshi and the people of the Aoiya.

Her whole life. In just an instant. She had frozen at the crazed look in Midori's eyes. She could only watch helplessly as the knife rushed towards her.

The death delivering strike never came. The knife was stopped in mid swing when Kyosuke arrived and grabbed Midori's wrist. The force of his grip caused Midori to cry out and release the knife. The blade clattered to the floor and Kyosuke gave Midori a hard shove, sending her flying against the wall.

"Don't touch her, you filth!" Kyosuke roared. Bending down he snatched up the knife and started towards Midori. White hot rage blinded the man as he made his way towards the partially conscious girl. He had been choking horribly when he saw the girl stab his Kaoru in the leg. The coughing had been forgotten as he sprung into action.

His Kaoru had been injured enough. Her beauty was by no means hindered because of her injuries. On the contrary, the injuries were all the more appealing to Kyosuke since he knew that he had been the cause of them. It was his mark, his brand. He had claimed her as his own because of his inflictions.

Kaoru moved as fast as her injured legs would allow her. She launched herself at Kyosuke and grabbed hold of his arm with both of hers, using her whole body weight to stop him from killing Midori.

"Don't!" she cried. Kyosuke's swing was stopped. "Please don't."

Kyosuke heard the desperation in the woman's voice. He was very confused. She had just been stabbed by Midori and now she was putting her life on the line to save the girl. It made no sense to him at all.

Kaoru was a mystery to him, but he would enjoy learning all about her.

Not one person there expected the explosion which tore through the room and caught each individual off guard. Four bodies were sent flying like rag dolls by the force of the blast. Kaoru was torn away from Kyosuke and sent through the air.

Another explosion shook the entire building, ripping through the walls and sending them crashing down around the small cluster of people.

"The dynamite!" Kyosuke coughed through the smoke and haze. The air was choked with dirt and smoke and anything that was flammable was on fire.

Kaoru coughed roughly. She was stunned. She didn't know which way was up. There was a ringing in her ears that blocked out all other sound. She was lying on her stomach and thick smoke clouded her vision and caused breathing to be difficult. She glanced around and found herself surrounded by pieces of wood and small fires. There were dirt, rock, and tree branches littered around her as well.

Tree branches? She was outside? How was that possible? She was just inside...

Midori wasn't far from Kaoru's position. The younger girl looked unconscious. She was lying on her back with debris covering her legs and part of her upper body. There was a bloody gash above her eyebrow and Kaoru could see the unsteady rise and fall of her chest indicating that she was having trouble breathing too.

Kyosuke was no where to be seen from Kaoru's position.

Kaoru blinked a few times and pushed herself to a sitting position. She was still inside, but the explosion had blown a gaping hole in the wall and part of the ceiling. The trees and dirt that had been outside, were blown inside and littered all over the small room. The luxury room she had woken up in was gone completely, what remained was a few scraps of fabric from the linens that had been in there.

"Shit." A voice cursed. Before Kaoru could comprehend the origin of the voice a hand grabbed her roughly by the arm and hauled her to her feet. Kaoru found herself standing and being dragged out through the huge hole in the wall. The scent of fresh evening air hit her hard and she sucked in deep gulping breaths.

"Take slower breaths."

Kaoru nodded and complied with the instruction. She recognized the voice immediately and she was mildly surprised at its owner.

She never thought that she would be rescued by Saito.

----------------------------------------------

Kenshin had patched Yahiko up as best he could. There were no bandages left to cover the large gash on his forehead, but Kenshin had managed to stop the bleeding. Yahiko picked himself up off the ground and went to retrieve his shinai. His head was killing him and he felt nauseous from the pain, but he wouldn't give up until Kaoru was rescued.

Standing, Kenshin glanced over at Aoshi and Misao. He started towards the pair when Aoshi turned and glanced over at Kenshin. The look in the man's eyes had Kenshin running towards them.

When he got closer, he saw what caused the worried look. There was blood coming from Misao's mouth. Kenshin's steps faltered and he came to a standstill. Aoshi's hand was pressed firmly to Misao's stomach, the cloth used to stop the blood was coated in the red fluid. Aoshi's hands were bloody, as was Misao's uniform. There was blood on the grasses where Misao was lying and drops of blood were visible on other greenery.

"Misao." Kenshin said softly.

"Kenshin... Kaoru-san." Misao whispered.

"She needs a doctor... now." Aoshi said firmly. Kenshin nodded.

"Take her to one." Kenshin replied. "We'll get Kaoru back."

Aoshi nodded. He gathered Misao in his arms and stood up. Kenshin could see the blood dripping out of her and landing on the ground. His heart all but stopped. Misao, usually so full of energy and life, was dying right in front of his eyes.

"Go fast." Kenshin said, knowing he didn't have to. The look on Aoshi's face was one he had never seen on the tall mans face. Fear. Aoshi was frightened. In the blink of an eye, Aoshi was gone.

Kenshin turned and locked eyes with Yahiko who stood just a few feet behind him. Yahiko looked scared and concerned.

"Will she be okay?" Yahiko asked.

"I don't know." Kenshin replied honestly. "We need to get Kaoru back. Let Aoshi worry about Misao for now, and let's go."

Yahiko was grateful for his honesty, but fear gripped him hard when he saw the amount of blood on the ground where Misao had been lying. Yahiko couldn't picture the world without Misao in it. Yet there he was, standing before a stain of blood, wondering what it would be like if she did die.

Shaking his head, Yahiko tried to cast the horrible thought out of his mind. He didn't succeed but he did manage to concentrate on rescuing Kaoru a little more. Turning he started to follow Kenshin who had begun to walk away from the area.

Focused entirely on getting Kaoru back, Kenshin kept walking. He started back towards the house where it had all started.

Back to where the girls had been kept captive.

------------------------

"You stabbed me."

"You asked me to!"

"I didn't actually think you'd do it!"

"Well now you know for future reference that if you ask me to do something that will inflict bodily harm on you, I'm going to do it!"

The argument between Hiko and Sakura was constant and unending. It was a testament on how much they disliked each other.

"You drive me insane." Hiko snorted.

"Feeling is mutual!"

Silence.

Once Hiko had been mobile, they started to head towards the house where the girls had been originally held captive. It seemed the most logical place to go. It could be a total waste of time, but it was all they had to go on.

"Did you have to stab me in the leg?" Hiko growled. He was limping slightly as he walked through the forest. When Sakura had driven the blade of her sword through his thigh he had been thankful to feel the pain. However in hindsight it wasn't the most convenient of places to be injured.

"It was the best spot on your muscle bound body! I could have stabbed you in the arm and that would have rendered you useless in a battle. At least this way you can still be useful!"

"I am always useful, girl. You'd do well to remember that!

"Will you stop calling me 'girl'! I'm not that much younger than you!" Sakura roared, turning on Hiko. The pair came to a dead standstill and Sakura stood before Hiko, yelling up at him. Inwardly, Hiko smiled. She was an interesting woman, that was for sure.

Sakura glared up at Hiko and hated the fact that she respected and trusted him beyond words. He was an arrogant, self-centered, egomaniac. But he was a good man, she couldn't deny that.

Hiko glanced up from Sakura and saw the corner of the house. They had made it to their final destination.

An explosion erupted from the house. Hiko watched the wall they could see peeking through the trees explode into pieces just before Sakura's body slammed hard into his. The force of the explosion had flung Sakura forward directly into Hiko's larger frame, and the two of them continued to fly backwards several feet.

Hiko landed hard on his back with Sakura landing on top of him. The rain of debris and dirt coated the pair and Hiko could hear Sakura's hard coughing. He also noticed her wheezing.

"Are you okay?" Hiko asked. Sakura's response was another harsh cough. She pushed herself off Hiko and lay on her back beside the man. Her breathing was much more difficult than normal.

"I'm fine." She replied.

"You're lying." Hiko replied, sitting up.

"I'm fine." Sakura repeated. Standing, Sakura brushed the dirt off her clothes and started towards the remains of the house. She wavered slightly when her vision darkened for a second but continued on her way. Hiko followed behind her. He decided to humour her for the time being and let her think he believed that she was fine. He was well aware that she was not fine.

They made their way to the house in silence. Sakura climbed into the charred and broken room through the hole in the wall and found herself staring through the house and into the central yard. The explosion had torn the whole house apart.

There was a soft coughing from the debris of the house. Sakura followed the noise to a young girl who lay trapped under a fallen wall. Scrambling, Sakura started to clear the rubble away just as Hiko entered into the room the same way Sakura had. He saw her clearing away some debris in an attempt to rescue a small girl.

Hiko recognized the girl immediately. He had seen her with the other women when he rescued them from the house in the first place. He went to Sakura's side and helped lift the wall off the girl as Sakura dragged her out.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sakura asked, laying the girl on her back and brushing some dirt off her face. The girl coughed and slowly opened her eyes.

"Kyosuke-sama?" she whispered. Sakura froze.

"Did she just add –sama?" Hiko asked.

"Kyosuke-sama!" she cried, sitting up.

Midori found herself looking up at a huge man she recognized as a friend of Kaoru's. Next to him was a woman wearing a blue haori. Anger flared in Midori. How dare that woman wear the colours of Shinsengumi! Women were not worthy of the shinsengumi blue. Only men such as Kyosuke-sama were allowed to wear the honourable colour.

"You bitch! Take that off now! You don't deserve it!" Midori screamed, launching herself at Sakura. The older woman was taken off guard when the young girl flew towards her. Midori never reached her target, however, because Hiko reached out and grabbed her by the back of the neck, stopping her cold. Midori struggled in vain against his hard grip.

"What the hell!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Take it off! Take it off!" Midori screamed, her struggling continued.

"You'll see that my influence is total when it comes to women." A harsh voice said. Sakura and Hiko turned to see Kyosuke emerging from the smoke that came from several small fires. He looked worse for wear, finally. His clothes were scorched and had burn marks on them. The large gash on his cheek was bleeding. And he was weaponless.

"What did you do to her?" asked Sakura. Kyosuke merely smiled.

"I taught her the truth. She is a woman. She is meant to serve me. Totally and completely." Kyosuke responded. Sakura unconsciously put her had on the hilt of her sword, flicking her thumb and partly unsheathing it. "I wouldn't do that, Sakura-san."

Before she could breath. Before Hiko could react. Before either samurai could move, Sakura had a blade against her throat.

Hiko couldn't believe how stupid he had been to allow the enemy to get so close to him. But the girl squirming in his grasp was strange. The ferocity she fought with distracted him. The smoke and haze distracted him. Sakura distracted him.

"It also helps to have the servitude of such strong men." Kyosuke replied with a smile.

"Sometimes servitude can backfire on you." Sakura replied evenly. She looked over at Hiko and the pair locked eyes. Hiko read the message loud and clear and released the still squirming Midori.

The girl flew at Sakura, blinded by the rage she felt towards the haori-wearing woman. The ninja didn't know what to do. They knew Midori was Kyosuke's servant, making her off limits to them. Sakura took the attack full on, allowing Midori to knock her to the ground. When the small girl hit her hard the blade of the sword sliced a shallow wound into Sakura's neck. The two women hit the floor hard and Midori sat on top of Sakura attempting to scratch the haori off her.

The instant Sakura was free of the blade at her neck, Hiko flew into action. He unsheathed his sword and sliced cleanly through the offending blade before the blood on it could drip off. He threw his elbow into the ninja's face sending the man flying. Whipping around, Hiko flipped his blade just before it connected with another man, knocking him to the ground.

Two ninja sprung into action and attacked Hiko. Both men were thrown back by the force of Hiko's Do Ryu Sen. The air reverberated from the force of the blow that Kyosuke felt it and he stood quite a distance away.

He knew he was no match for the cloak-wearing man. By no stretch of the imagination.

Sakura hit the ground with Midori landing on top of her. She felt the warm trickle of blood coming out of the cut on her neck. She let Midori claw at her for just a short second before she grabbed the girl's wrists, stopping her attack. Rolling, Sakura pinned Midori under her and delivered a blow to the girls head. Midori let out a small cry and stilled under Sakura.

"Sorry." Sakura mumbled to the unconscious girl, feeling a twinge of guilt for causing harm to the poor girl.

Sakura left the ninja to Hiko and launched herself straight for Kyosuke. He saw her coming and turned to run. He wasn't armed, and even though Sakura was a weak woman, she still bore a weapon that could cause damage.

The woman never made it to him. Kyosuke saw one of his samurai emerge from the forest and step between Sakura and himself. The samurai drew his sword and blocked a blow from Sakura. Another fight had begun.

-----------------------------

Kenshin and Yahiko ran through the forest, heading towards the sound of the explosion they had heard minutes before hand. As they ran the smoke from the explosion was getting thicker. Yahiko recognized the area they were in. Both he and Kenshin were heading back to the house.

They had been running since Aoshi and Misao had left. But the explosion caused them to pick up the pace.

Kenshin wasn't running as fast as he normally could, but he was impressed at the speed they were moving. Yahiko had become faster in the last year of his training and it was showing. He was also becoming a better swordsman. Kenshin couldn't help but be proud of the young man. Yahiko was growing into a fine man.

Yahiko watched the back of Kenshin as they ran. It was odd watching the back of the man he respected the most without seeing the long red ponytail swaying with each step he took. Yahiko had noticed the missing hair the first time he saw Kenshin that afternoon. It was hard not to notice the absence of almost a foot of bright red hair.

Yahiko was about to open his mouth to say something when Kenshin stopped dead in his tracks. The stop was so sudden that Yahiko almost ran right into him. Peaking from behind Kenshin, Yahiko spied what had caused Kenshin to stop dead in his tracks. Directly in front of them was the charred and burning remains of the house. They could see the back of one samurai wearing a blue haori, and the sound of swords clashing was echoing across the forest.

The smoke and haze from the explosion was still present. Kenshin didn't need to see who was fighting though. He could feel it. Somewhere beyond the smoke that clouded the scene, were Hiko and Sakura.

Movement from the corner of Kenshin's eye pulled his attention from the scene in front of him to several ninja stealing their way through the forest towards the fight. Kenshin sprung into action and made his way on swift, silent feet towards the ninja. They didn't know he was there until he was on top of them, drawing his sword and bringing it crashing down on his opponent.

Yahiko wasn't far behind Kenshin. He brought his shinai out and attacked another ninja, cutting off the attack that was sure to come from the masked man.

Kyosuke heard the commotion from behind him and saw several more of his ninja were locked in a battle with the Battousai and the kid. He was thoroughly confused. Why was Battousai still fighting? Why had that girl arrived with the big man? Wasn't she Battousai's woman?

Realization dawned on Kyosuke as he turned back to watch the fight before him. The girl was female. She was a whore. She obviously had many men who considered her their property. She had done quite a good job manipulating two extraordinarily strong men. That being said, she was quite strong herself, Kyosuke had to admit that at least. She had suffered a great deal of physical and emotional turmoil at his hands and still came back fighting. She was quite an adversary.

Shaking his head slightly, Kyosuke forced his attention back to the most important matter. His Kaoru was missing. He had lost track of her after the explosion when she had been thrown off his back. He stole a quick glare at Midori's unconscious body. She had meddled in his plans, causing him to lose Kaoru. If he had his sword he would have killed her right there. But he lost it in the explosion as well.

With that thought a sword flew out of no where and embedded itself in the floor at his feet. Kyosuke looked around for a moment to see that Hiko had disarmed another of his samurai, sending the blade flying. Kyosuke didn't hesitate as he pulled it out of the wooden floor and turned, leaving the fight behind.

Kyosuke disappeared into the smoke, unnoticed by everyone fighting.

Hiko took care of another samurai when he heard a crash of blades directly behind him. Turning he saw Sakura blocking another sword. He focused on her for a second and could see she was exhausted. Both of her hands were gripping the hilt of her sword and her arms were shaking from exhaustion.

Hiko took two strides and grabbed the man attacking Sakura by the throat. Shoving back, he slammed the man into the unstable wall, and pushed him through it. The man hit the ground hard, and didn't get back up.

"Stop fighting." Hiko ordered, turning around to Sakura. She opened her mouth to protest when a clash of blades caused her to freeze.

Standing next to her was another samurai. He had gone unnoticed by her and had managed to get close enough to strike. Beside him was Kenshin, his arm extended and his sakabatou blocking the blade.

Hiko had seen the impending attack, but he had also seen his baka-deshi approaching.

Sakura's vision darkened. She blinked for a second and cleared her vision once again. She was fighting off unconsciousness ever since the explosion occurred minutes beforehand. Admitting defeat for that moment, Sakura lowered her sword.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu – ryu sho sen!" Kenshin yelled, knocking his opponent out completely.

Kenshin nodded to his master and turned back to the enemy. Yahiko was still outside the house, fighting the samurai as best he could. Kenshin sprung into action. He would not be defeated here!

Sheathing his sword, Kenshin pulled out the kunai he had kept hidden in his sleeve. Turning he threw it at a ninja attacking Yahiko. The man found himself pinned to a tree and struggling to free himself. Yahiko looked from the ninja over to Kenshin.

Kenshin grabbed his sheath and pulled it from the ties at his waist. He turned towards the last few fighters and left Sakura's side, heading towards them. Two men launched an attack on the red head. Without batting an eye, Kenshin unsheathed his sword fluidly and gripped his sheath tightly. He stepped forward and swung both arms.

Using the sheath as a blade, Kenshin attacked. Parrying the attacks, Kenshin thrust and blocked at the same time. He pivoted on one foot, blocking a blow with his sheath. Swinging with every bit of force he could, Kenshin brought his sakabatou around, with the sharp edge forward, and cleanly sliced straight through the samurai's sword.

Kenshin turned and quickly sheathed his blade, flipping it and allowing his hand to hover just above the hilt. He took the stance that had Yahiko pausing in anticipation. Kenshin's battoujutsu was unlike anything he had ever seen.

The last man standing saw the stance and moved in for the attack. He knew who Kenshin was. He knew what the smaller man was capable of. But he also knew his own strength, and the fact that Kenshin carried a reverse blade sword would surely slow the drawing of the blade, and slow the speed of the battoujutsu.

Kenshin watched the man approach, his hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. He waited for the exact moment, when the man entered into his reach. One step.

Hiko smiled. Yahiko and Sakura watched in amazement.

Kenshin grabbed his sheath and attacked with it first. In the same instance, he pulled the sword from its confines and spun around, completing the sword strike by connecting his blade with the samurai's arm. Just as the case with Jinei, Kenshin broke the bones in the samurai's arm.

"What the hell was that!" Yahiko breathed, unsure of what to think anymore. He had thought he had seen all of Kenshin's moves. But he knew he had never seen the rurouni attack with the sheath first during a battoujutsu.

"Sou Ryu Sen – Ikazuchi." Hiko replied watching his former student resheath his sword. A light drizzle started to fall and quickly turned to a heavier spring rain.

"Time to end this." Kenshin said firmly.

---------------------------

A.N. Well, it's not so much of a cliffhanger, but still a bit of a cliffhanger. The story is coming to a close! There's only a few chapters left! Until next time!

Sakura-san


	22. The Past Returns ch21

Disclaimer: RK and characters are not mine, I merely made borrowed them for my tale.

A.N. Welcome to Chapter 21! I hope you like it. There's some good action in this on, at least I think so. :)

I want to thank you wonderful readers a whole bunch! I really appreciate all your wonderful feedback and comments! They make me all warm and fuzzy inside! So thank you so much.

R&R!

Enjoy!

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The Past Returns – Chapter 21

Kaoru tried to keep up with Saito's longer strides, but her injured legs were causing her a lot of problems. They had moved away from the smoke and danger of the burning house shortly after Saito had hauled her out of the remains.

Saito was not pleased to have Kaoru with him one bit. He had his own job to do and now he was stuck with Battousai's woman. Normally he would have sent her on her way but she was obviously injured and she was weaponless. As an officer and a samurai he couldn't leave her. He had to deviate from his plan slightly and bring her to Cho.

Saito heard Kaoru stumble again but this time she didn't catch herself. She fell to her hands and knees in the middle of the forest, her legs screaming in protest from the use she had put them through. Kaoru was breathing hard, trying to block out the pain and stand back up but she couldn't.

She was extremely surprised when a gloved hand extended into her vision, offering her help. Kaoru followed the hand, up an arm, and looked into the eyes of Saito. She was still slightly surprised he had offered help and didn't move.

"Don't look at me like that. Just take my hand." Saito said evenly. Kaoru reached up and took the offered hand. Saito helped her to her feet with one pull.

"Thank you." Kaoru replied. Saito released her hand and surveyed her for a moment.

"You can't walk anymore." Saito stated. Kaoru was a tad apprehensive about his reaction if she agreed with him, instead she did the opposite.

"No, I can walk." She lied. Her legs throbbed in protest at her lie. Her newest wound had stopped bleeding but the blood on her kimono had started to dry along with the wound causing it to tear open again with every step she took. It was very painful.

"You're lying. What happened to your legs?" Saito asked, pulling out a cigarette.

"Nothing."

"You're lying again. Just tell me, it'll make this easier on both of us."

"I didn't dodge a kunai from one of the traps, it sliced my leg open. And I was stabbed." Kaoru admitted. Saito exhaled smoke and surveyed the girl in front of him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was fairly impressive. She had bad injuries on both legs and yet she had managed to walk the distance they had covered between them and the house.

"You can't walk anymore." Saito repeated.

"I can't walk anymore." Kaoru admitted, just as her legs started to give out on her. Instead of falling to the ground again Saito turned and hoisted her onto his back. Before she had a chance to be shocked, he was walking again.

Kaoru didn't struggle. She knew that being on his back was saving her a lot of grief from her legs. She was a little shocked that he had done such a thing, but she remained silent. She was not about to question the man who had saved her life and was now carrying her through the forest.

Saito was aware of her apprehension. He could feel it in her whole body. She was completely rigid as he carried her.

"You don't have to be so scared." Saito said after several minutes of silence.

"I'm not scared."

"You're stiff."

"I'm surprised."

"Surprised?"

"I'm surprised that you'd help me." Kaoru admitted. She had given up staying rigid and had relaxed as they made their way through the forest. She did take the moment to think about how odd it was. She had met Saito almost a year beforehand. He had badly injured Sanosuke and arrived to challenge Kenshin in a fight. It had been the most horrifying fight Kaoru ever witnessed Kenshin in. The presence of Saito brought about memories from the revolution, and had caused the Battousai within Kenshin to emerge with a vengeance. Even her cries hadn't reached Kenshin's ears at that time.

Saito had been a thorn in the side of the residents of the Kamiya dojo since that day. It wasn't that he was constantly there challenging Kenshin, on the contrary he had proved to be one of the best allies they could wish for. Saito had been instrumental in aiding Kenshin during the battle against Shishio. He had also been of great help with the Enishi battle. Saito had an intelligence network so vast that it challenged the information skills of the Oniwabanshu.

But that didn't change the fact that Saito was a constant threat to Kenshin. He and the rurouni had a score to settle. It wasn't because of hatred. It wasn't because of politics. It was because over 10 years ago they crossed blades for the first time and neither man won. There was a winner yet to be decided. Out of respect for the other samurai, that score would be settled.

"I'm a police officer. It's my job to help." Saito replied.

Kaoru was silent. It was true. He was a police officer. But she had coloured Saito in her eyes as an enemy. It was at that point that she realized he wasn't really an enemy, not after all he had done for them. But she also had to admit that he wasn't a friend either. It was an odd relationship between Saito and the others. A love-hate sort of thing that was puzzling to Kaoru.

"Yes. That's true." Kaoru replied thoughtfully. Saito noticed that she had relaxed against him and he was grateful. A stiff person on his back was never comfortable to carry.

The pair fell into silence, the only sound was the rustle of foliage as Saito walked through the forest. It was darker than either expected as dusk had settled.

"Where are we going?" Kaoru asked finally.

"I'm bringing you to Cho. He's heading back towards the city with the other women." Saito replied.

"What about you?"

"I still have a job to do." He said.

"Kyosuke?" she asked. Saito laughed at her question. While it made sense that Kyosuke would be taken care of by the former shinsengumi captain, he had other things to worry about.

"That man is insignificant. Battousai will take care of him. I have another mission."

"Another mission?"

"Yes."

Another mission he wasn't about to talk about. At least not with the girl. The public didn't have to know that there was a leak in his police force. There was a man who masqueraded around as an officer and traded secrets and tactics for money. This branch of shinsengumi weren't extraordinarily well prepared. They had known the rescue attempt was coming.

Saito wasn't about to let the traitor get away. He had to be taken care of.

"What other mission?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"Nothing for you to know about. You are going back to Kyoto with Cho, and the other women."

With the mention of the other women, Kaoru's leg started to throb again, reminding her of Midori. The girl had nothing but pure hate in her eyes when she stabbed Kaoru. The memory of Midori caused Kaoru's heart to clench. What had happened to twist her mind against her friends?

"Who was that girl?" Saito asked.

"You saw her?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes. Who was she?"

"Her name was Midori. She was a captive as well." Kaoru replied.

"She was a captive, and yet I have to feeling that she's the one who stabbed you."

"Yes." Kaoru replied softly. It was a hard admission that she made. She had considered Midori her friend. Midori had been a frightened girl when she had arrived, and even up until the second they parted company Midori had been terrified. The sudden change was very odd.

Silence fell between the pair for a while. The only sound was the rustling leaves and the noise of Saito's footfalls. Both people were thinking about different things as they walked. Saito about his incomplete mission, and Kaoru about Midori.

The hairs on the back of Kaoru's neck stood at attention at the same moment Saito stiffened slightly.

"Behind!" Kaoru exclaimed, just as Saito turned around and drew his sword in one fluid motion. The blade came into contact with another blade with a loud crash. Kaoru slid off Saito's back and stepped away from the pair. Saito was glaring into the face of a shinsengumi samurai.

"Give me the woman." The man said.

"No."

"Hand her over and I won't kill you."

Saito smiled his wolfish smile and pull back from the other samurai, releasing the swords. The man took several steps back and crouched slightly, raising his sword that he grasped in his left hand and aimed it straight for Saito. Kaoru stared in shock. The man had just assumed the position of a gatotsu.

"Kyosuke-sama taught me the one move of the shinsengumi that is unbeatable! You stand no chance against me. Leave the girl or die."

"Unbeatable, is it?" Saito replied. He crouched as well and copied the stance of the other sword. "Well let's test that. Whose gatotsu is stronger, I wonder?"

Kaoru stood frozen. She knew the power of Saito's attack. There was no one stronger at the Gatotsu than Saito. That she was sure of. She had seen Kenshin fall prey to it and barely escape with his life. She knew what Saito was like. This would not end with a defeated samurai. This would end with a dead body on the ground.

The teachings of her father would not allow death, not even to the enemy.

"No!" Kaoru cried. Moving on her own she placed herself between Saito and the samurai. She stood facing Saito and stared up at his narrowed eyes.

"Move." Saito said firmly. He knew she was there to protect the idiot standing before him. It wasn't the first time Kaoru had stood in the way of his prey, but this time the one she was protecting wouldn't put a hand on her shoulder and push her aside. The man behind her would hurt her. Possibly even kill her for getting in the way.

She was even more of a pain than Battousai.

The samurai moved in a blinding flash. He thrust his sword forward with surprising speed and its target was Saito, straight through Kaoru's body.

To protect Kaoru from herself, Saito crouched to the ground and lashed out his leg, knocking Kaoru off her feet. The woman landed with a hard thud on the ground just as the sword pierced the air that she had occupied only a fraction of a second beforehand.

From his crouched position, Saito appeared to be at a major disadvantage. All the enemy had to do was bring his sword straight down and he would connect with Saito's head and kill the man. But appearances are deceiving. Saito thrust with his entire upper body weight as he attacked with the zero gatotsu. Kaoru watched in horror as Saito's sword drove straight through the samurai, spilling his blood. The force of the attack sent the man flying across the forest, his blood raining out of his body and sprinkling on Kaoru's horrified face.

The sound of the body hitting a tree echoed in Kaoru's ears. The look of shock that was permanently frozen on the man's face was engrained in Kaoru's mind. The feel of his still warm blood on her face would forever remain on her skin. She was physically shaking from the shock of witnessing such a brutal death. Turning, Kaoru looked back up at Saito. He was standing calmly, wiping the blood from his sword. Other than the bloody sword, Saito was impeccably clean with not one hair was out of place. He sheathed his sword and pulled out a cigarette. Lighting it he took a long draw, exhaled the smoke and stared with a blank expression at the man he had just killed.

Kaoru knew she was looking at the true Saito Hajime, former captain of Shinsengumi squad 3. Hitokiri from the revolution. He was even more frightening than she ever thought.

The rain started without Kaoru even noticing it. Shock had frozen her in place on the ground. It had been a brutal slaying, but it wasn't the first one she had seen. She still remembered with vivid detail the look of the samurai when Sakura had killed him in the alley the night they were kidnapped.

It was remarkable how much blood a human body contained. It was even more shocking to see how just one strike from a sword could spill it all so quickly.

The recollection snapped Kaoru out of her daze and she immediately felt her stomach clench. Before she could form another thought she was throwing up on the forest floor. Blood invaded her senses, she could feel it on her skin, she could smell it, she could taste it, she could hear the sound of it spilling from a body.

"How could anyone do this?" Kaoru whispered.

"We fight for our beliefs."

"Your beliefs tell you to kill?"

"I do what is necessary to live up to the code of the shinsengumi." Saito replied.

The coldness in his voice brought tears to her eyes. She wasn't crying because Saito was cold. He was normally like that. She was crying because she had gotten a glimpse of the life Kenshin used to lead and she didn't like it one bit. Kenshin had fought and killed for his beliefs. He had been instrumental in the outcome of the war. It wasn't that Kaoru was upset because he killed so many people. It was the way things were then. Kill or be killed.

Kaoru cried because she now knew the full extent of the horrors that young Himura Kenshin had been exposed to, and she knew what had turned him into the cold blooded killer he was for 4 years of the revolution. It was his defense mechanism. To protect his soul from the horrors he committed, he turned into the Battousai.

"Crying is something you should never do, Kaoru-san. It makes you look quite horrid." A voice said. Saito had heard the approaching man and wasn't surprised in the least to see Kyosuke standing behind the pair. He was also drenched from the rain. He carried a sword in his hand with no sheath in sight.

"Go to hell." Kaoru growled.

"My, my. Such words coming from your mouth." Kyosuke replied.

Kaoru rose to her feet and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She had been helpless, then empowered over and over again during the course of the day. She was tired of it. She wanted to go home. She was in no shape to fight, but she would not back down anymore.

"Don't be stupid, Kamiya." Saito warned. He saw the look in her eyes and knew she was thinking stupid things. He had already saved her twice, he didn't want to do it again.

"Yes, Kaoru-san. I agree with Saito-sama. Don't be stupid." At the mention of his name, Saito's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh come now, Saito-sama. I was a page for squad 7, I knew the captains of all Shinsengumi squads." Kyosuke answered the unasked question. "But you were elusive to my ninjas. Even my contact didn't know your true identity. But I cannot forget the faces of the men who lead the shinsengumi."

Saito gripped his sword a little tighter. The man before him was a stain on the name of shinsengumi and had to be taken care of.

"Now, Saito-sama. Don't be hasty. I don't think you can kill all of us." Kyosuke said. Within seconds there were an additional 6 samurai. "At least not before one of us gets Kaoru-san."

Saito knew he was right. He could easily take care of two or three, but the remaining would easily grab Kaoru. Saito silently cursed to himself. If only he hadn't promised Tokio to put the women first over his mission he wouldn't worry about the Kamiya girl.

Where the hell was the Battousai!

Kaoru knew she was another hindrance. Saito couldn't take care of all 7 men without help. If he needed help, then she would do what she could to give it to him. She took a deep breath and did the only thing she could think of to throw the men off.

She screamed.

She screamed loud, and clear.

"KENSHIN!"

Kenshin heard Kaoru call his name as if he were standing right next to her. The group of four stopped in their tracks at the sound and immediately headed in the direction it came from. His heart pounded with every step he took. The scream wasn't one of despair or fear. It wasn't a scream of pain. The only way to describe the scream was that she was pretty ticked off and she was demanding that he get to her immediately.

He moved as fast as his feet would carry him. He knew Hiko was right next to him, but the pair had left Sakura and Yahiko behind. Sakura was capable of keeping pace, but she was injured and Yahiko wasn't as fast as the rest. She had stayed back so that he wouldn't be alone if anything happened.

The second Kaoru had screamed the name, all 7 men had sprung into action. Saito had done what he could to parry the attacks, but it was a different when he was actively trying to protect someone. Normally he would have just sliced through them all, but they were all aiming for Kaoru and they were smarter than the other samurai he had been fighting. They were using her as a shield against Saito's attacks.

Saito gave Kaoru a shove, throwing her back to the ground. Kaoru landed on the muddy earth for the second time and slid a little way. Two samurai broke away from the fight with Saito and started towards Kaoru. Being completely weaponless, Kaoru searched around herself to find a branch or something of substance she could use to protect herself. Her eyes landed on the sword of the samurai Saito had killed minutes beforehand. Without hesitation she grabbed the sword and brought it up to protect herself from the blades of her enemy.

The crash of two blades against her own rattled Kaoru to the bone. The weight of the men bearing down on her was causing her arms to weaken rapidly. That combined with the weight of a real sword had Kaoru scrambling to think of a way out of her situation. She angled her sword and allowed her blade to slide down the length of her opponents.

One samurai stepped away, releasing the pressure on Kaoru and moving to attack from another side. The other continued to bear down on her, taking a step forward so he was towering over her prone form. Kaoru did all she could think off and brought her leg up directly between his. The man noticed her movement and dodged the attack before it could land, giving Kaoru the opportunity to get to her feet.

Her legs screamed in protest as she stood up but she ignored the pain. Taking a defensive stance, Kaoru raised the sword. The samurai surrounded her on either side. Not knowing who would attack first, Kaoru was faced with the choice, wait for them to come at her, or initiate the next round herself.

The choice was obvious.

Kaoru took a step and swung her sword around, sending it flying towards the samurai at her rear. The man was taken slightly off guard and raised his own sword to block the blow before it took his head off. Kaoru ducked her head, crouching close to the ground in order to avoid the sword from in front of her landed a blow. She could feel the air move from the force of the sword.

Putting all her strength in her legs, Kaoru pushed off from the ground and flipped over the heads of the stunned samurai. She landed hard, and the leg Midori had stabbed weakened underneath her, forcing her to kneel on one knee. The two men moved to strike again, while Kaoru struggled back to her feet.

She would not be defeated here!

Kaoru stepped one pace back, preparing to strike forward with a jab. She knew that using the jab would surely hurt, if not kill, one of her opponents. She had no choice.

Kaoru stepped forward and jabbed the blade of her sword forward. The steel clanged against another sword, causing her attack to stop dead. The samurai had parried her jab easily and the other was stepping forward with his own.

The sword strike never came. Strong arms encircled Kaoru and she found herself airborne. Below her, the sound of samurai locked in battle echoed in her ears.

"Swords were never meant to be used by the Kasshin style." Kenshin stated as he landed back on the ground, Kaoru safely held in his arms.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed. She had only screamed to distract the samurai, she never thought he would be so close and arrive so quickly. The relief and happiness she felt when she looked at him caused her to drop the sword she held and throw her arms around his neck for the second time that day.

"Thank you." Kaoru whispered, truly glad to have the sword out of her hands.

Kenshin gently put Kaoru back on her feet and stepped away from the woman. She was glad to see her alive. She was injured but alive and that's all that mattered to him at that point. He gave Kaoru a slight smile and then turned back towards the root of the entire problem.

Takei Kyosuke stood near the couple, glaring at Kenshin. He had witnessed the exchange between the red head and the raven haired beauty. He didn't like it one bit. Normally a man was permitted to have more than one woman in his life. Also, to Kyosuke, women were meant to be passed between men and enjoyed to their fullest. But to see Kaoru in the arms of another man caused Kyosuke to burn with rage.

Kaoru belonged to him and only him. She was to be touched by no other man.

"That woman is mine." Kyosuke seethed.

"Kaoru belongs to no one." Kenshin replied.

"We shall see."

Kyosuke charged.

Hiko brought his sword around and connected with another sword with a loud crash. The arc of Hiko's blade continued on its path when the other sword snapped from the force. The blade flew across the forest and embedded itself into a tree trunk. Directly next to Sakura's surprised head.

Yahiko immediately plunged into the battle. He had taken two steps towards the fight when kunai flew from the trees, stilling his progress. Sakura looked overhead and saw the ninja in the trees. Grabbing the collar of Yahiko's gi, she hauled him back against her and wrapped an arm around his chest. She pushed off with her feet and took to the trees.

"Hey!" Yahiko cried.

"They can handle them. You need to take care of this guy!" Sakura called as she landed on a branch.

"I'm not an aerial fighter!" Yahiko exclaimed, stepping away from Sakura.

"Consider this your training." Sakura replied and jumped off the branch. She hated to leave the kid alone to fight a battle he wasn't suited for. She had no choice really. She had nothing left in her to keep fighting with. Even if she could fight, a ninja was not an option. Yahiko had proved himself ten times over during the course of the afternoon. Sakura had faith that he could handle the battle she had put him in.

Gripping his shinai, Yahiko braced himself. He was unsteady on his feet and glared daggers at Sakura's back as she leapt from tree to tree. She was leaving him vulnerable! She knew that he couldn't handle an aerial fight! He watched Sakura glance over her shoulder at him and he stopped glaring. His eyes widened at her look and a warm feeling spread through his body. She believed in him. She trusted him. She left a fight she could not fight to him. He had gained the respect of a very powerful samurai.

The ninja appeared from above and came down hard. He held a kunai in his hands that was aimed directly for Yahiko's head. The young samurai acted on instinct and raised his shinai to block the attack.

"Use his strength against him!" Sakura yelled.

Yahiko barely heard her words through the pounding of his heart in his ears. The attack appeared to move in slow motion. The blade of the kunai was bearing down on Yahiko with such force that it would surely crash through his meager defenses. A shinai was a powerful weapon, but when faced with a kunai coming towards him with the bodyweight of a full grown man behind it, a shinai was not going to save his life.

The only way he would escape was to dodge, so that's what Yahiko did. He moved towards the trunk of the tree, vacating the spot where he had been standing just seconds before the kuani embedded itself in the wood. Yahiko saw his opportunity when he felt the branch quiver under his feet. He raised his shinai and brought it down to strike the ninja. The man blocked the blow with his arm. Yahiko didn't stop. He continued to attack, advancing on his enemy forcing the ninja to back up along the branch. The ninja had taken three steps back when he realized his mistake. The branch snapped under his weight and the ninja free fell to the ground below.

Blades connected and sparks flew as Kenshin and Kyosuke engaged in their fight. It was the fight the end the entire incident. Kenshin fully intended to finish it then and there. The sound of a breaking branch caused both men to look up in time to see the portion of a tree and a ninja falling straight for them. The men jumped back, away from each other as the branch and ninja crashed to the ground.

Kenshin looked back up to see Yahiko standing high up in the tree. Pride bloomed in his chest as he watched the young samurai. Yahiko was breathing hard and the wound on his head was bleeding again, but the boy looked much older than his 12 years. The blaze in his eyes could be seen, even from the distance that separated them. There was no doubt in Kenshin's mind. Yahiko was destined for greatness.

Kyosuke took advantage of Kenshin's momentary distraction. Lunging forward, he attacked. Kenshin saw the move too late and couldn't stop the blade. He managed to twist himself away and did a small flip backward. The blade ripped through his gi and sliced the flesh at his side. Landing, Kenshin put a hand over the new wound. It wasn't serious, but the fact that the strike had been landed brought Kenshin's focus back to Kyosuke.

There was a new desperation in Kyosuke's eyes. Desperation to win, and desperation to live. When faced with such feeling, Kyosuke became much stronger. The will to live was a powerful one, and even the weakest of samurai could gain strength and ability when he was gripped with fear of his own death.

Kaoru could only watch helplessly as everyone around her fought the enemy. Her legs were also too weak to hold her up. They gave out under her and she collapsed to the forest floor. Her fingers dug into the earth as she clenched her teeth in anger. She was not weak! She could defend herself! But her injuries rendered her immobile. Frustration gripped her as she surveyed the fighting around her.

Kenshin was busy with Kyosuke and didn't see the additional samurai approach him. His focus was on the man before him. Kaoru opened her mouth to shout when a ninja fell from the sky and landed in a heap in front of her. High in the trees above Kaoru, Sakura looked down on the battle. Her breathing was heavy and her entire world was darkening.

Kaoru gave a startled yelp at the ninja next to her. He appeared unconscious, but he had startled her when he fell from no where. Kenshin turned away from his enemies to see what had caused her to cry out. Kaoru watched as two separate blades rushed for Kenshin's body.

Sakura moved. One more fight. Just one more. Please...

Kaoru opened her mouth to shout a warning. She hesitated. Kenshin stood with his eyes locked on hers. He didn't look distracted. He didn't look preoccupied. He looked focused. Kaoru looked on in amazement.

Blades crashed together. Sakura stood next to Kenshin, in one hand she held a short sword she had taken from the ninja who lay next to Kaoru, and the other held her own katana. Both blades were connected with those of the enemies. Sakura held her position for a second, and Kenshin turned, raising his sword and bringing it down towards Sakura.

It was almost as if they had spent days choreographing their movements. Sakura released the short sword and ducked at the last moment, clearing the path that Kenshin's sword followed. The short sword was immediately snatched up by Kenshin's free hand, and Kyosuke felt the force of the sakabato against his own blade travel through to his bones. Sakura's leg lashed out and took the other samurai's feet out from under him.

Kyosuke acted instantly and brought his sword down on the woman below him. He was just inches from slicing her open when his sword was stopped short. He looked down at the short sword that had stilled his own blade. Following the arm up, Kyosuke locked eyes with Kenshin. A chill ran down his spine at the cold look in Kenshin's eyes. The red head yanked up on the short sword, freeing Sakura from the threat of Kyosuke's blade. She used the opportunity and pushed off with her feet. As she soared over the heads of Kenshin and Kyosuke, she snatched the short sword Kenshin offered and landed in front of the other samurai.

There was no hesitation. Sakura brought both swords up and crashed into the other samurai. The force caused him to step back. She continued her attack, bringing the swords back down and crashing once more. The man could only defend himself and found himself actually fearing the woman before him.

Sakura flipped the blades of both swords. She parried his sword with the katana and attacked with the short sword. The dull edge caught him in the temple and his world fell into darkness.

Breathing heavily, Sakura collapsed to her hands and knees.

"Sakura?" Kenshin asked, not turning around from Kyosuke. Neither man had moved from their stand off position. Kyosuke had been absorbed in the short battle between his man and the woman. He was shocked. She was incredible with the blade.

"I'm okay." Sakura rasped out. It was her last conscious thought as she finally gave into the darkness that had been closing in. She collapsed in an unmoving heap.

Still, Kenshin didn't move.

"Not worried about your woman, Battousai?" Kyosuke asked.

"I will worry after we finish the battle." Kenshin replied, gripping his sword tightly.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko exclaimed, running up to his master. He had scrambled down from the tree and rushed to her side. Hiko and Kenshin were enough to handle the remaining men. Yahiko wanted to see if she was okay. He stopped short in front of her and looked down at her legs. "Are you okay?"

"I - "

The ninja moved. Kaoru glanced over and saw the crazed eyes of the defeated ninja swing up to her own. She didn't have time to warn anyone. He moved in a blinding flash.

But she saw the blade of a kunai.

The sound of the rain wasn't enough to drown out the sound of flesh and bone being pierced by a blade.

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A.N. Yeah... another cliffhanger. I'm sorry. Like I said, I'm a sucker for cliffhangers! I love them! Keeps you engaged in the story! And I've been pretty good at updating in only a few days, haven't I? So I don't leave you hanging for too long!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. I actually rewrote the whole chapter to get more fighting in there. Now I have to rewrite the next few chapters to match. But no worries, this rewrite only took me a few days, the next will be the same.

Until next time!

Sakura-san


	23. The Past Returns ch22

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine. I merely borrowed the characters for my story.

A.N. Okay, I'm SOOOOO sorry it took me a week to get this chapter out. Work was insane and I would only go there, then come home and sleep. But here's the newest chapter!

Hey, remember the Misao cliffhanger? I certainly do! So here's more on that! Don't worry though; I'll get back to Kaoru/Kenshin action too.

Again, thank you for all the wonderful reviews. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story. I like writing action stories. I'm sorta working on a new action story that's AU but I don't want to post any of it until I have a better grasp on the storyline. So without further adieu...

R&R!

Enjoy!

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The Past Returns – Chapter 22

Aoshi ran through the darkening forest with speed he never knew possible. He carried Misao on his back and he could feel the warm stickiness of her blood penetrating his clothes and turning cold against his skin.

"Aoshi-sama." Misao whispered in his ear. Aoshi didn't slow his pace. "I'm scared."

"I will protect you."

"Not for me. For Kaoru-san. And Midori. They're out there, Aoshi-sama." Misao whispered. She was truly scared for the two women. Kaoru was in the clutches of that crazy man, and Midori had succumbed to him somehow.

"Don't worry. Kenshin and the others will help them." Aoshi replied. Misao smiled against his back. Aoshi had faith in Kenshin. He trusted the samurai and that was a difficult thing to gain from Shinomori Aoshi.

Misao fell silent again. She wasn't silent because of the pain she was in, on the contrary, Misao felt no pain whatsoever. She was numb all over. The only thing she could feel was the compelling urge to sleep. She was weakening with each passing breath she took and she knew it.

She was losing too much blood, too fast.

She was dying.

"Aoshi-sama." Misao whispered again.

"Don't speak, Misao. It consumes energy."

"I'm dying." She whispered, ignoring his order. She had to say it. It was the truth and they both had to come to terms with it. That way, Aoshi could abandon his futile effort to get her help and go give aid to their friends who were fighting for their lives in the middle of the forest.

"No you're not!" Aoshi replied harshly. "Don't you ever say that again, do you understand?"

Misao heard the anger in his voice and was slightly shocked at it. For almost a year now Aoshi had been his usual ice cold self, remaining silent and reserved, no matter what the circumstances were. Hearing an emotion in his voice was very strange.

"Aoshi-sama." Misao whispered.

"Be quiet Misao."

"Aoshi-sama!"

"That's an order!"

Misao's arms were hanging limp over Aoshi's shoulders. Summoning all the strength she had, she brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling herself closer to him and burying her face in the back of his neck. Aoshi felt the tears she was shedding against the skin exposed on his neck.

"I'm sorry." Misao whispered.

"Don't apologize, Misao."

"I'm so sorry, Kenshin."

At that Aoshi almost stopped dead in his tracks. His steps faltered slightly but he kept his pace up. Misao was probably confused due to the blood loss. Aoshi had done all he could to stop the bleeding, but the wounds were too deep. He had managed to slow the bleeding enough to try and get her to a doctor. The fact that she was apologizing to Kenshin was not a good sign.

"Misao..."

"I'm sorry, Kenshin. I didn't keep my promise." Misao whispered. Aoshi was confused and worried.

"What promise?" he asked.

"I promised to make you smile, Aoshi-sama. I failed." Misao admitted. Normally Misao would look on the bright side of everything. But she was faced with her own death and the one promise that she had held closest to her heart was one she had failed to keep.

Aoshi was stunned at the admission. Misao had always been the light in his life. She made him smile on a regular basis. How could she say she failed to make him smile?

Misao's arms went limp, releasing Aoshi from her hug. He felt her whole body become a total dead weight on his back. His heart leapt into his throat and Aoshi came to a stand still, gently pulling Misao off his back and laying her out on the ground.

The blood was even worse then he expected. The whole front of her uniform was coated in her blood. There was drying blood on her hands and her long black hair was sticky in places where blood had started to soak. Her face was a pale white colour and her whole body was limp.

Aoshi couldn't see the rise and fall of her chest.

Kneeling down next to her Aoshi put his ear against her chest and listened.

Nothing.

Misao's heart had stopped beating.

---------------------------------

Cho sighed deeply. He was walking through the forest with 5 women trailing behind him. Not exactly his most glorious job. However the company was infinitely better.

"Cho-san, how much further?" one girl asked.

"Not far, not far. The others should be around here somewhere." Cho replied without turning around.

"What others?" one girl asked, a little nervous

"The other cops. They're around here somewhere."

"Cho-sama!" a voice called through the woods. Turning Cho saw several uniformed officers emerge from the forest. The women were so relieved to see the uniform that some of they started to cry. Cho raised a hand in an odd salute/wave.

"What happened, did you get lost!" Cho called out.

"Well, it is a big forest, Cho-sama." was the sarcastic reply.

"Hey! That's no way to address your superior!" Cho said mockingly.

The comradery between the spiky haired man and the officers was apparent to the women and they were very glad for that. Seeing the blue of the uniform really sent the message that they were going to be okay. They were going back home.

"What superior? Superior in hair maybe." another man replied laughingly.

"Don't mock the hair!" Cho exclaimed angrily.

By that point, more police officers had arrived. Several of them went straight for the women and began to tend to the minor cuts and bruises present. They offered clean clothes, food and water as well. Being in the company of men was a little unnerving, but the women were much more comfortable with the police than with those samurai.

"Where is Fujita-san?" an officer asked Cho.

"He's got another mission to complete." Replied Cho. "He'll catch up later."

"Cho-sama! There's a man over here!" someone shouted. Cho went to the young officer and looked where he was pointing. Off in the distance Cho could make out the silhouette of a man on his knees. Putting his fingers in his mouth, Cho gave a loud whistle that echoed across the trees.

A few seconds later a whistle responded. Then several more whistles Cho recognized as a distress call.

"I need a doctor!" Cho hollered as he started towards the figure. He didn't know if the man was an enemy or an ally but he knew a distress when he heard it, and he was an officer. It was his job to help people now.

Aoshi did all he could to help Misao. He tried pushing on her chest in an attempt to get her heart to keep beating. He breathed into her mouth in an attempt to get her to breathe again. He was feeling the cold grip of panic when a whistle pierced his hearing. He could see a man far off in the distance and felt some relief wash over him. He responded with his own whistle, followed by a few more to signal distress. The man immediately started towards Aoshi.

He just hoped that the man was an ally and not an enemy. If he were challenged by someone Aoshi wouldn't hesitate to kill.

Continuing to breathe for Misao, Aoshi felt cold fear start to seep in. He didn't know how long he had been pushing on her chest or breathing in her mouth, but Misao hadn't responded.

"Please, Misao." Aoshi coaxed.

Nothing.

Aoshi breathed into her mouth again. He had her blood on his hands. It was cold and sticky on his back. He was absolutely terrified that her life was slipping through his fingers.

"Please Misao." He whispered once more, pushing in on her chest.

He breathed again for her. There was a slight hitch in her, then she started coughing roughly as she drew in a shaky breathe, then another. The coughing continued and her eyes slowly opened to stare up at Aoshi.

Misao was dizzy, disoriented and weak. She felt her whole body throbbing and her chest was hurting. Her body felt like it was made of lead and it weighed her down to the ground. She couldn't move a muscle. But she was extremely glad to be feeling something again.

"Aoshi-sama?" she whispered, confused.

At the sound of her voice Aoshi felt pure relief that he never knew existed. There had been a terrifying moment in his life that he would never forget. Misao had, for all intents and purposes, died. But she was alive, breathing on her own, and staring up at him. She looked weak and confused.

Aoshi gathered her up in his arms, afraid that if he let go she'd die on him again. He couldn't bear that thought. The sound of footfalls drew his attention back up to see the last person he expected to see.

Cho the swordhunter.

"Shinomori!" Cho exclaimed, coming to a halt. He looked from a blood covered Aoshi to the blood covered Misao. "Kami-sama, what the hell happened!"

"I need a doctor."

"Get out of my way." Someone said, shoving past Cho. Aoshi saw a young man carrying a wooden box. The man crouched on the ground next to Aoshi and Misao and looked up at the dark haired man. "Let her go."

Aoshi complied with the order and released Misao, gently laying her down on the ground. The young man went to work immediately. He tore the bloody uniform off Misao to reveal her upper body, most of which was covered in bandages. Using discretion the doctor cut away the bandages that shielded her injuries, leaving the rest to keep her covered.

Aoshi watched the man work and his heart rate finally started to decrease. Since he had witnessed Misao crumple to the ground his heart had been pounding hard and fast.

"Aoshi-sama." Misao whispered, looking around for the man. Her vision was blurry from the dizziness and blood loss so she couldn't see him. Aoshi knelt next to her and took hold of her hand.

"I'm here, Misao." Aoshi replied softly.

"What are you still doing here? Go help Kenshin." Misao ordered softly.

"I..."

"That's an order." Aoshi couldn't help it. He smiled slightly at the order.

"Yes, Misao." Aoshi replied. He released her hand and stood up. He looked over at Cho who still stood off to the side. "I'm leaving her to you."

Cho nodded firmly. Normally he would have been carefree and obnoxious but seeing the young woman like that had sobered him for the moment.

With one final glance at Misao, Aoshi turned and headed back into the forest just as the skies opened and rain began to fall.

----------------

It had been raining for a while. Puddles had formed in the shallow dips of the ground. The whole scene took on a surreal look to Kaoru. The rain seemed to slow. She could almost see the perfect circles left behind when a raindrop would land in a puddle. The sounds of battles and swords became mute in her ears. The injuries in her legs had reopened when she had fought a while ago making her legs lead weights when she tried to move.

The ninja moved with such speed Yahiko failed to notice him. One minute he was upright, staring at Kaoru in concern, the next his head exploded in pain and he was sent flying across the forest again. Kaoru opened her mouth but she was unaware of what she screamed. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch.

Kenshin blocked another blow from Kyosuke. He heard Kaoru's cry and then the tell-tale sound of skin being sliced and crunching bones. He didn't want to see it, but his body turned of its own accord.

The ninja was surprised at the speed the man arrived on the scene. He had been thrusting his kunai at the girl when his blade was stopped by someone. Instead of plowing through the neck of his prey, it sliced a clean path through the new arrival's hand.

Before he could react the ninja felt a hard kick to his stomach. The air was forced from his lungs and darkness consumed his vision. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. From a distance, Yahiko picked his head off the ground and stared in shock.

Shinomori Aoshi stood in front of Kaoru. He was covered in blood.

Saito and Hiko stood to the side, their opponents defeated. The two ninja were out cold on the ground. The final enemy was Kyosuke who has stopped at the arrival of Aoshi. He was aware he was alone against some seriously strong men. He felt only anger.

"So you're going to gang up one me like the thugs you are!" Kyosuke screamed.

"No." Aoshi replied. All eyes turned to him and watched as he pulled the ninja's blade from his hand. "Your fight is with Kenshin."

"I don't want to soil my blade by crossing it with yours." Hiko remarked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I have another job to do. I'll leave the cleanup to you Battousai." Saito replied. Turning, he disappeared into the forest, his footfalls drowned out by the rain.

"This battle is just between you and I, Kyosuke." Kenshin replied.

"Fine." was the reply. Kyosuke flicked his blade quickly, as if cleaning it from blood. Small droplets of rain flew from the blade and rained to the ground. The only movement was made by the observers. Yahiko returned to Kaoru's side. Aoshi remained rooted in place fully intending to protect Kaoru, like he had promised.

"Well Battousai. Today I fulfill my revenge." Kyosuke sneered.

The force of the next attack actually caused sparks to fly between the two swords. Kenshin was surprised at the strength behind Kyosuke. The man wasn't much larger than Kenshin himself, but he did exude an immense power in his strike. Dodging the strike Kenshin did a somersault backwards, to put some distance between himself and Kyosuke.

Kyosuke actually disappeared from Kenshin's sight and the rurouni's eyes widened. He was so fast! The strength and speed he felt from his opponent was surprising. But the anger that Kyosuke was feeling made reading him easy. Raising his sword, Kenshin blocked the attack that came from behind. Crouching down he took the legs out from under Kyosuke but the man never hit the ground. Using his hand Kyosuke caught himself and pushed off the ground, flipping over and landing away from harm.

"I will kill you and your whore for what you did to my captain!" Kyosuke growled.

"They died in a fire!" Kenshin replied, keeping the lie alive.

"Liar! I know the truth of that night!" Kyosuke roared. His next attack came faster then the last. Pulling no punches, Kyosuke raised his sword over his head and brought it down hard and fast.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu – ryu sho sen!"

The reverse blade caught Kyosuke under the chin and the force of the attack sent the man flying back. He landed on his back, the wind rushed out of his lungs. He rolled over and rose to his feet once again. Fear was an emotion Kyosuke had thought he put behind him. Instead, it reared its head once more as he faced one of the strongest men alive.

"Tell me your truth of that night." Kenshin said. He knew the truth. But no one else was supposed to.

"I returned from delivering a message in time to see you and that leader of yours leaving the Inn. I went inside and looked! Everyone was dead! You even killed the innkeeper!" Kyosuke spat out. Kenshin felt oddly cold. The memories of that night still haunted him. To hear them told from another perspective caused chills to run through his body. It was a night he wanted to forget, but one that he never would. "You then burned the inn to the ground and let the people of Kyoto believe that they died in the fire!"

Aoshi listened intently. It was true that squad 7 had died in a fire. There had been whispers for a brief time that the whole thing had been staged and the men had died some other way. But without proof no one could say for sure. The rumour died away. Aoshi looked over at Kenshin. Was it true?

Kenshin stared at the enraged man. He knew the truth and had lived with it for so many years. He could still smell the blood. He could still feel the wound that Sakura had given him. He could still feel her tears against his skin. He could still feel the heat from the fire. Kenshin sighed and lowered his sword.

"Yes." He admitted. There was no denying it now. He couldn't. "You're right."

Kaoru was stunned. It was true? Kenshin killed all of those people for Sakura? For revenge? The Battousai fought for a cause! Not once did he fall to the bloodlust that gripped him. Or that was what Kaoru believed. But to hear him admit to massacre; it was a hard pill to swallow.

"But I didn't kill them." Kenshin continued, "She did." Turning, he pointied towards the Sakura who still lay on the forest floor not far from Kenshin and Kyosuke. Kaoru could hear the cold anger in his voice as Kenshin spoke the revolting words.

"She is a woman! She could never –"

"She is a samurai, and she was the strongest manslayer in the revolution." Kenshin replied. "What those men did to her was..."

"Nothing more than what she deserved!"

Anger consumed Kenshin. The white hot rage he felt that night when he discovered what those men had done to his sister was not forgotten. Any time he thought of those events the rage came back full force. It wasn't caused by bloodlust. The men who had hurt her were already dead. Kenshin felt no remorse for their loss. But he was still enraged, and he would be for the rest of his life, for being weak and unable to protect someone important to him.

"No one deserves that." Kenshin growled.

"All women deserve that."

"I don't know what happened to you to make you believe that. But you have seen the women in your captivity break free and fight back. Surely they have caused you to rethink what you believe." Kenshin said.

"I allowed them to leave. I knew they were trying to escape. Young Midori was easily influenced long before she was put in the room."

Kaoru was shocked. Midori had been influenced by him even before she was put in the room? How was that possible?

"No! I don't believe you! Midori wouldn't do that!" Kaoru cried. Kyosuke glanced over at her and smiled.

"Midori has been mine for a long time, Kaoru-san. She has proved quite useful. She has helped me sell my wares for almost a year now. I put her in the rooms with the girls to keep them occupied. She is my own inside mole. She is quite a good actress isn't she?" Kyosuke asked. Kaoru felt cold and detached. Midori had been working for him the whole time?

"What about the old man?" Hiko spoke up. He had questioned an old man who had been attacked by the shinsengumi. He reported that his granddaughter, Midori, had been taken.

"A well paid actor." Hiko narrowed his eyes. These men were better than he could have imagined. They were well organized, well trained, and their operations were well planned. No wonder the kidnappings were kept under wraps by the police. These men were obviously very hard to catch. But they were such a large group. How could they have traveled, kidnapped, and sold women without leaving a big trail behind them? The police would surely have...

"The police..." Hiko said. Kyosuke smiled.

"Our man within the police has eluded even the best investigators. He has been with us since the very beginning. He is my right hand man." Kyosuke replied. Kenshin stared at the man in front of him. Of all the opponents Kenshin faced in his life, Kyosuke was by far the smartest. "You are impressed, Battousai."

"I am. But that does not mean I will allow you to continue. This ends today. Right now." Kenshin replied.

Kyosuke gripped his sword tightly. He had one chance to win. If he could disarm the Battousai, the man would be weaponless and vulnerable. Could he do it though? Could he actually get the legendary swordsman to release his blade? No one was perfect. Even Kenshin. Kyosuke felt the cold grip of fear once again. If he failed, Kenshin would surely kill him. Death was not an option. Redemption was resting on this battle. Kyosuke had things to settle and a job to continue to do.

His eyes took in his surroundings. Shinomori stood protectively in front of Kaoru. The young boy was slowly making his way back to her side on shaky legs. The huge man in white stood surrounded by fallen men. His sword was sheathed and his relaxed stance told Kyosuke that he was no longer a threat. Battousai stood in front of him holding his ridiculous reverse blade sword in his grasp. Just behind the manslayer was Sakura. She was unconscious, lying on her stomach.

There wasn't much of a chance for Kyosuke to win his battle. He wasn't strong like Kenshin, he wasn't fast like Shinomori. He was smart, however, and that would work to his advantage. He just had to disarm the Battousai.

"Kyosuke-sama?"

Kaoru's blood ran cold. Peaking from behind Aoshi, she could see the disoriented form of Midori emerge from the woods. She was dirty and wobbly on her feet. She had a gash above her hairline and the blood was streaked across her cheek. She had arrived on the scene nearest Kyosuke. The man didn't hesitate when he covered the ground between him and the girl, grabbing her by the neck and holding her against him, the blade of his sword pressed to her throat.

Kenshin tensed. The girl appeared relaxed in his grasp. He knew Kyosuke would use the girl like that when she had entered the scene. He had planned to help but Kyosuke had acted much faster than Kenshin thought he could.

"No! Let her go!" Kaoru cried, struggling to her feet. She still viewed Midori as the victim. The young girl had been brainwashed by the older man. She wasn't sure how he had done it but Midori was not a bad person.

"I belong to him, Kaoru-san. I will stay with him, even if he does let me go." Midori replied simply. Kaoru could see the trust in Midori's eyes. She truly believed the man cared for her. Kyosuke smiled.

"This will be you soon, my dear Kaoru." Kyosuke replied. Kaoru bit her tongue to prevent herself from spitting out the string of curses she wanted to say.

Kenshin moved. One moment he was standing still, near Sakura. The next he was covering the distance between himself and Kyosuke, bent on getting the poor girl out of the man's grasp. He didn't want Midori to become another Yumi, and watch the girl die by the blade of the man she loved the most.

Kyosuke saw it coming. He immediately released Midori and shoved her hard towards Kenshin. The young girl stumbled forward and Kenshin reached out, grabbing her and preventing her from falling to the ground. A sharp pain in his hand caused it to open and his sword slipped from his grasp. He saw the blade of the kunai and released the girl, creating distance between himself and her just as she swung wildly, trying to cut him once again. He came to a rest and watched her snatch up his sword, holding it close. Looking down he could see the gaping wound in his hand where Midori had stabbed him moments before.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru shouted.

Kyosuke moved, closing the distance between him and the weaponless man. Kenshin looked up and dodged the attack. Pulling his sheath from the ties at his waist, Kenshin blocked another blow.

"Not as good without your sword, are you Battousai?"

"Good enough." Kenshin replied, stepping back and releasing the stalemate between the sword and sheath.

"Your sheath won't last forever." Kyosuke replied. He raised his sword and brought it down hard. Kenshin raised his sheath to block the blow and felt the impact reverberate through his arms. Kyosuke was right. It wouldn't last forever. He needed his sword back.

Yahiko had sprung into action the second the man was weaponless. He was running towards Midori as fast as his feet would carry him. Kenshin couldn't fight a sword with a sheath for long. The blade would surely slice through the weaker metal! Midori held the sword close, watching the boy draw closer. Gripping the hilt, Midori held the sword up, ready to attack.

"Yahiko! Don't hurt her!" Kaoru called after her student. It didn't matter that Midori held a sword, she was a small girl and Yahiko was definitely stronger than her. The last thing Kaoru wanted was Midori to be hurt.

Kyosuke swung again, this time his blade cleanly sliced through Kenshin's sheath, leaving the man completely weaponless. Leaping back, Kenshin placed more distance between him and his opponent. With the last piece of his sheath he still gripped in his hands, Kenshin threw it at Kyosuke. With one simple swing, the man swiped the sheath away as if it was nothing.

"A weaponless Battousai will fall by any blade." Kyosuke said, advancing on his opponent.

"Who said I was weaponless?" Kenshin asked. Kyosuke sneered and swung. Kenshin lifted his foot and flipped a blade into his grasp. The clash of steel rang through the clearing and Kyosuke found himself fearing for his life once again.

After all, Himura Battousai stood before him... holding a real blade.

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A.N. Yay! Another chapter! Okay, I hope you liked this one. I rewrote the whole thing. Well, most of it. I wanted more action in there, and I had a different plan for this chapter originally, but I like it better this way. I hope you did to!

Until next time!

Sakura-san


	24. The Past Returns ch23

Disclaimer: RK and its characters are not mine. I merely borrowed them for my story.

A.N. Well, sorry for the delay with this chapter but here it is! Ready for your reading pleasure. I have one chapter, maybe two left. It all depends on how long the next chapter is. It will probably a little longer than average for my next chapter since I'm moving this week. :o But it won't be too long. 

R&R!

Enjoy!

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The Past Returns – Chapter 23

Time stood still.

Seeing Kenshin standing there holding a real sword caused everyone who was conscious in the clearing to freeze and stare. It had been over 11 years since he used a real sword in a fight. What would the outcome be? Would he kill Kyosuke? Would blood be spilled that night?

Kenshin stood tall and strong. His short red hair was weighed down by the rain. His gi and hakama stuck to his small frame, showing the obvious muscles beneath. His amethyst eyes were narrowed and focused. His breathing was even and steady. He was a sight to behold.

Aoshi watched in fascination. Kaoru watched in concern. Yahiko watched in awe. Hiko just watched. He had yet to see his student fight. Truly fight. Not as the Battousai. But as Kenshin himself. The man who was undefeated. The man who protected those around him. Hiko would find out just how strong his baka-deshi was while he fought with a real sword.

Kenshin pulled back from Kyosuke, breaking the contact between their swords. He distanced himself from his enemy and gripped the blade firmly in his hand. The smell of blood invaded his senses as he held the achingly familiar blade. Memories of his past flooded into his head. The weight, the balance, the feel of the sword in his hand was so strange to him. It was as if he had never let it go. It felt exactly the same. It fit his hand perfectly.

Closing his eyes, Kenshin lowered the blade and just let the feeling wash over him. The strength in the sword was not diminished. He could still feel the weight of the lives taken. But there was an odd feeling. Something else. The lives that had been saved by the blade were far greater than the lives taken. Kenshin smiled. Opening his eyes he looked down at his sister who still lay unconscious near him.

"Will the Battousai finally break his vow on me? I feel honoured." Kyosuke said, breaking Kenshin out of his musings. Turning back to his opponent, Kenshin raised his blade so it was parallel to the ground, and pointing at Kyosuke.

"This blade has not taken a life in over 11 years. Neither has this man. That will not change tonight." Kenshin replied evenly.

Both men moved. Covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Adrenaline pumped through Kyosuke's veins, giving him the drive he needed to succeed, to win. Their blades crashed with such force the rain was pushed away from them for a moment.

Yahiko gasped. He had seen the same thing happen between Hiko and Sakura the previous night. He knew the force of the fighting had taken on a whole new level. Seeing the same occurrence snapped him out of his trance. Watching Kenshin wield a real blade was strangely fascinating, and terrifying at the same time. Turning, Yahiko focused on the girl near him. She had dropped her guard as she took in the fight before her. Yahiko used her distraction to his advantage.

Raising his shinai, Yahiko brought it down on her wrists. He heard the sound of snapping bones before the girl screamed and dropped the sword. He kicked the blade away from her and gave her a quick shove sending her to the soaking ground. Kaoru turned at the sound of the scream in time to see Yahiko give the girl a shove.

"Yahiko!" Kaoru shouted. She watched him take several steps then pick up the reverse blade sword. Her eyes focused on Midori who sat on the ground clutching her wrist to her chest and crying. The young girl's eyes remained fixed on Kyosuke and Kenshin.

The two men had broken apart and were circling each other at a run. Kyosuke was waiting for an opportunity to present itself before trying to launch another attack. Kenshin's defense was amazingly tight.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted, throwing the sword.

Kenshin didn't bat an eye. He didn't break eye contact. Nothing. Instead he hurled himself at Kyosuke, engaging in another attack. The sakabato soared through the air towards the two men. Yahiko watched the sword with baited breath. A hand reached out and snatched it from the air, before it reached Kenshin.

Hiko stood towering over Sakura's form, holding the reverse blade sword. Bending over he grabbed the girl and slung her over his shoulder.

"What are you doing!" Yahiko shouted over the sound of the rain.

"Letting him fight." Hiko replied.

Kyosuke swung wide, trying to slice Kenshin's chest open. Leaping back in time, the blade only cut the fabric of his gi.

Both men leapt away from each other, putting distance between their opponent. They were breathing heavily. Kenshin was slightly surprised at Kyosuke's power. Kyosuke was astounded at Kenshin's strength. This was a battle unlike any either had partaken in before. Kyosuke's shear determination to survive was what gave him the strength to fight Kenshin evenly.

Kenshin surveyed his opponent for a moment. Kyosuke was proving to be a much stronger opponent than anticipated. It was easy to see where his strength came from. Kenshin knew the strongest thing a person could have was the will to survive.

"We don't have to fight." Kenshin said, staring at Kyosuke.

"I will not rest until I get my revenge, Battousai." Kyosuke replied. Kenshin gripped his sword tightly.

"So be it."

The battle started again. The clash of steel rang through the air once more. Kaoru picked herself up and started towards Midori's crouched form. Worry for the young girl motivated her but before she could take two steps her legs cried in protest. Stumbling, Kaoru started to fall back to the ground when Aoshi reached out and grabbed her elbows, steadying her. Kaoru looked up into his eyes. The pair were soaked through to the skin from the rain. But Kaoru could still see and smell the blood on Aoshi. Fear coursed through her when she thought of whom the blood belonged to.

"Misao?" Kaoru asked.

"She's with a doctor now." Aoshi replied.

"Is she alright?"

"I hope she is." Aoshi said. Kaoru's heart clenched painfully. His tone of voice was not promising to Kaoru. Squeezing her eyes tightly Kaoru fought back tears of fear. Shaking her head slightly she reopened her eyes and looked over at Midori once more. The girl was still crying.

"I need to see her." Kaoru said, looking back up at Aoshi. Turning, he looked over at the young girl. He knew who she was immediately. The second she had entered the clearing Aoshi had visions of the most terrifying moment in his life replay in his head over and over again. She had been the one who stabbed Misao.

Nodding, Aoshi complied. Wrapping an arm around Kaoru's shoulders, he supported most of her body weight on his and helped her walk over to the injured girl. Kaoru watched the girl get closer as she and Aoshi approached her. She could hear her sobs over the rain. Midori was oblivious to their approach. Her eyes were fixed on Kyosuke.

"Midori." Kaoru said softly. Aoshi helped the young woman kneel on the ground next to the girl. Midori turned to Kaoru and looked at her with dead eyes.

"Kyosuke-sama?" she asked.

"Are you okay?" Kaoru asked softly. From the look of Midori, she wasn't thinking straight. The girl was confused and in pain. Kaoru reached out and brushed a wet clump of hair out of Midori's face. The girl blinked and Kaoru watched her eyes come back into focus. The fires of rage ignited in her eyes and she let out a scream before launching herself at Kaoru.

Kaoru scrambled back in surprise. Midori never landed on her. Aoshi grabbed her by the back of the neck, stilling her movement. He gave her a sharp jab in the neck and her world fell black. She became a dead weight in Aoshi's hand and he released her, allowing her to slump to the ground.

"Aoshi!" Kaoru exclaimed.

"She's not dead." He replied, turning back to the fight. Kaoru crawled to Midori's side and rolled the unconscious girl onto her lap. A shout pulled Kaoru's eyes from Midori back to Kenshin.

Kenshin stepped back and positioned himself as if he were about to complete a battoujutsu. His grip was firm on the hilt of the sword, the blade pointed behind him, and his other hand hovered just over the edge of the sharp steel, as if he was holding a sheath. He focused every ounce of his attention on the man in front of him. Kyosuke recognized the posture. In turn, he took on the pose of the ultimate shinsengumi technique.

"Gatotsu." Kaoru whispered. Kyosuke knew the gatotsu?

"Does this seem familiar, Battousai? You are wielding a real blade, facing a shinsengumi. You must feel as if you were back in the revolution." Kyosuke said, tauntingly.

"You are not a shinsengumi."

Kyosuke never replied. Instead he lunged for Kenshin, anger clouding his vision. Kenshin watched the man approach at an alarming speed. He didn't flinch. Kyosuke thrust his sword forward the same instant Kenshin drew his blade around. The two blades crashed against each other with such force both men felt the reverberations down their arms.

It was Kenshin whose eyes widened when his blade continued on its path, shattering Kyosuke's blade and starting towards flesh. It felt as if the blade had a will of its own. It sought out Kyosuke's blood. Kenshin stilled. His whole body tensed and froze in place. The blade was just a hairs breath from Kyosuke's body. It brushed against his chest with every breath he took.

"Just as I am not a manslayer." Kenshin said. Stepping back, he pulled the blade away from Kyosuke's chest. He lowered the blade and turned away from his defeated enemy. Kyosuke stood still and let the rain wash over him. An eerie calm settled over him as he looked at Kenshin's retreating back. He still held the broken end of the blade. Gripping it tightly, Kyosuke launched himself at Kenshin.

Kaoru watched in horror as Kyosuke attacked Kenshin's back. She screamed a warning. Kenshin turned in time to see the broken blade descending down on him. The entire scene played so fast that Kaoru couldn't comprehend what had happened until it was over. She heard the familiar sound of steel slicing skin and shut her eyes tightly and clutching Midori closer to her.

Yahiko didn't blink. His eyes drank in the whole scene as if it was the last battle he would ever see. At the same time Kaoru screamed, Kenshin turned around. Hiko moved, flinging the reverse blade sword at its owner Kenshin reached out and grabbed the blade out of the air. The second it was in his grasp Kyosuke's broken sword found its path into Kenshin's shoulder. He didn't wince, he didn't flinch. Kenshin circled around himself, gathering momentum as he swung his own blade towards the enemy. Kyosuke didn't have a chance to breath, let alone move, when the sakabatou plowed into his body, sending him flying. Pain exploded throughout him for a brief second before darkness encompassed him.

"Kenshin!" Yahiko screamed. Kaoru's eyes snapped open just as Yahiko took off in a run towards Kenshin. She looked up and her eyes widened. Kenshin stood staring down at the body of Kyosuke. The broken blade was embedded in Kenshin's shoulder, blood flowed freely from the wound. In one hand, Kenshin held the katana, in the other he held his sakabatou. Her eyes fell to Kyosuke and she could see his chest rising and falling with every breath he took. He was still alive.

Kenshin sighed. Another battle complete. Another victory. Yahiko ran up just as Kenshin dropped the katana, letting it fall to the ground. With his free hand he grabbed the blade embedded in his shoulder and hauled it out. He clenched his teeth at the pain but ignored it as he threw the bloody blade to the side. Turning, he faced his friends. The centre of his attention was on Kaoru. The woman who had been the centre of his thoughts since the whole thing started was kneeling down cradling the unconscious form of Midori. Her hair was soaking wet and stringy around her face. Her lip was swollen, her eyebrow was cut, her kimono was ruined beyond recognition.

She was beautiful.

He smiled over at them and Kaoru smiled back. She was just relieved that the whole ordeal was over.

An explosion sounded in the distance. It was loud and caused the Earth to rumble underneath Kaoru. Her heart leapt into her throat in fear as she whipped around to look into the dark forest.

"What was that?" Kaoru exclaimed.

"Saito. He had another mission while he was up here. It was probably to destroy the house where you were held captive." Kenshin replied, coming up next to Kaoru.

"Are you sure?" Kaoru asked worriedly as Kenshin knelt next to her.

"I'm sure." He replied. "Is she alright?"

"She needs a doctor." Kaoru replied. Kenshin nodded at the response. Standing he looked over at Hiko and Sakura. The woman was still draped over his shoulder.

"How is she?" he asked. Hiko looked at the girl and back to Kenshin. He had momentarily forgotten she was on his shoulder while he watched his student fight. He was impressed and proud of the man before him. Kenshin truly was the 14th successor of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style, in every aspect of the title. With Kenshin's question as a reminder, Hiko put the girl back on the ground at his feet.

Kenshin walked over to his sister. She was still unconscious when he got to her side. Kneeling beside her he pulled the blue haori open to reveal her wounds. It was the first time he had a chance to see just how badly injured she was. Her whole side was a black and purple bruise. It appeared as if she had several broken ribs. But the bruising was extensive, suggesting that she had been injured long before they had set out on their rescue. There were several shallow bloody wounds on her body that would need some cleaning, and her face showed no sign of improvement. There was a thin trail of blood coming from her mouth that was not promising to Kenshin. Using his sleeve he wiped the blood away. Closing the haori Kenshin looked up at Hiko.

"Can you carry her back?" Kenshin asked. Hiko only grunted.

Midori opened her eyes and discovered herself in Kaoru's arms. Her wrist still screamed in pain. She discretely pulled the knife out of her sleeve as the rest of the people surrounding her watched that damn red-head.

Yahiko had picked up the blade Kenshin had discarded. He was returning to Sakura's side intending on putting it in its sheath. He saw slight movement occurring behind Aoshi. The ninja stood in front of Kaoru, protecting her. The movement came from the girl lying in Kaoru's arms. He saw the blade of a knife and his heart stopped beating.

A flash of steel. The sound of flesh being sliced open.

"KAORU!"

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Kenshin stood in the garden of the Aoiya staring up at the clear night sky. The stars were bright and twinkling down on him. The spring breeze brought a promise of warmer weather. The smell of fresh rainfall was still in the air, even though it hadn't rained in days.

The peaceful surroundings could not drown out the images that had occurred in the forest.

He heard Yahiko's scream and before he could even turn he heard the sound of flesh and steel connecting. Whirling around he expected the worse. What he saw was surprising.

Aoshi stood over Kaoru and Midori. His eyes were wide with shock. Midori still lay in Kaoru's lap. The tip of the blade was the only part of the knife that was visible. It hovered dangerously close to Midori's stomach. The remaining part was grasped firmly in Kaoru's hand. Kenshin could see the blood seeping out from between her fingers and dripping onto Midori's kimono. The brightness that defined Kaoru's eyes was no longer there. In its place was anger. Kenshin had seen Kaoru angry before, but never truly angry like she appeared at that moment.

Ripping the blade out of Midori's grasp, Kaoru tossed it aside. Her hand was badly damaged from the sharp blade but she ignored it. Midori sat up and stared at Kaoru in shock. Kaoru glared over at the knife that was being washed of her blood by the rain. Turning back, Kaoru locked eyes with Midori for just a second before she lashed out and slapped the girl, hard. The force of the slap caused Midori's head to snap to the side. Kaoru had hit her with her injured hand, leaving a bloody handprint on the girl's face for a moment before the rain started to wash it away.

"Are you willing to die like that? Taking your own life! For what? Why?" Kaoru shouted.

"Because I failed Kyosuke-sama!" Midori cried, holding a hand to her offended cheek. "I'm nothing without him!"

"You are Midori! You are not defined by him!" Kaoru replied, tears forming in her eyes at the powerlessness she felt.

That had been over a week ago.

The Aoiya had been a welcome sight when they had arrived back.

At dawns break, Okina had been waiting outside the main entrance of the inn, hoping that his family would return safely. He spotted their silhouettes approaching him at a very slow pace. He could make out the hulking form of Hiko Seijiro who carried someone on his back. Beside him was the boy, Yahiko, who carried his shinai and two other swords. Aoshi was next to the boy, with a man trailing behind him. The last was a shorter man, most likely Kenshin, with someone on his back.

Behind the four men trailed the smaller forms of 5 young women.

He didn't even know he had called out, but Okina found himself heading towards the group of people with Omasu, Shirojo and the rest of the occupants of the Aoiya.

It was déjà vu. The same scene had occurred almost a year beforehand. The victors returning from their mission. The loved ones left behind overjoyed at their return.

There were some differences, however. Differences that had Okina faltering his steps as he drew closer to the group.

Last time, Kenshin had been barely conscious. The sound of Kaoru's voice as she called his name still echoed in Okina's head. Their group had been much smaller and all very badly injured. This time, the group was large. The men who had set out on the rescue all returned with some damage, but on a whole intact.

It was the women who were in terrible shape.

The 5 women who had been kidnapped were relatively unmarked. The reunion between them and their families was a joyous one. Midori was not with the group. Instead she had been brought straight to the doctor's clinic. Her wounds were far greater than any physical wound that had been inflicted.

Kaoru was on Kenshin's shoulders. Her kimono was ruined with mud and blood, especially at her thighs which seemed to be badly hurt. Her hands hung limp over Kenshins shoulders and one was bandaged up. Blood was still seeping through the bandages. She had severe facial damage that marred her usually bright happy face. Exhaustion was apparent in her eyes and she seemed to be falling asleep against Kenshin's shoulder. She was in the best shape of the three women being carried just because she was conscious.

Sakura was unconscious, being carried by Hiko. Her face had been battered before she left, and it appeared that it had only gotten worse. She no longer wore the black training gi given to her by the Aoiya. Instead she wore a blue shinsengumi haori that was covered in blood and soot from the explosions. Her worst injury was not apparent. The blood that had been coming from her mouth had been wiped away and the haori covered the bandages wrapped around her midsection to stop movement of her broken ribs.

But Okina came to a dead stop and a feeling a dread came over him when he saw Misao. She was not on someone's back, which to Okina meant something terrible had happened. Instead the unconscious Misao was on a stretcher being carried by Aoshi and a young police officer. Her lip was cut, there was a gash above her head, and she wore a white robe.

After everyone had been settled, Ginji made his rounds to each person to check on their condition. He changed the bandages on Kaoru's legs and neck, as well he cleaned the cuts and lacerations on her face and arms. He treated Sakura's facial injuries for the first time, cleaning them and putting bandages on the worst of the wounds. There was nothing more he could do for her broken ribs. Misao was the last woman to check, and when he did he had a sinking feeling.

The stab wounds had been deep. Ginji was amazed at the job done by the young doctor Aoshi told him about. The man had managed to repair a lot of the damage. The problem was that Misao had come down with a fever. The only thing that could be done for the girl was try and keep her fever down with ice and cold cloths.

Ginji also managed to convince the men to get some treatment as well. Aoshi sat silently as Ginji repaired the damage done to his hand. The repair job was done in Misao's room. Aoshi flat out refused to leave her side. Someone had to change the ice when it melted and he fully indented to do so.

Yahiko's head was wrapped and he was given some medicine to help with the pain. Aside from the head injuries, he had a few cuts and bruises. Overall Yahiko was in the best shape of all the men.

Kenshin had a deep would left in his shoulder. It was not a clean slice either, since it had been done by a broken sword. It was cleaned and wrapped by Ginji, then he was ordered to take it easy on his arm. Of course Ginji knew that telling a man like Kenshin to refrain from using a sword was a stupid thing to do. Kenshin would use it whenever he needed or wanted to.

Hiko disappeared. The second Sakura was deposited in a room with a doctor he turned and left the Aoiya. His only desire was to return to his home and enjoy his sake alone. He was a recluse and had spent time with people for far too long.

Aoshi knelt next to Misao's sleeping form. He had stayed by her side constantly for the entire week. She hadn't opened her eyes. The only relief he could feel was that her fever had finally broken the night before. His eyes were closed in meditation. He couldn't leave her. At least not until she opened her eyes.

The sun had set long ago. The only light in the room came from the candle Omasu had lit at dusk. The only sound was the steady breathing of the two people. But to Aoshi all that existed was Misao. The fear he felt for the last week was unequal to anything he had ever felt. No one would be able to say though. Aoshi's face remained unreadable.

"Aoshi-sama."

The whisper was so faint Aoshi barely heard it. His eyes flew open, snapping him out of his meditation and he focused on Misao who lay before him. Her bright blue eyes were open and she had a faint smile on her face.

Misao watched in awe as Aoshi's lips curved slightly, returning her smile.

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A.N. Okay! So, no cliffhanger at the end of this chapter! But this is not the end. Still more to come! I hope you enjoyed the fight! Kenshin in all his glory is an excellent Kenshin. 

Until next time!

Sakura-san


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